Taylor Barnard is set to be replaced for the next two rounds of the Formula 2 championship at AIX Racing.
It comes after the news that Barnard will be joining McLaren for the 2024/25 Formula E season. The 20-year-old impressed in his appearances last season in place of the injured Sam Bird and will become the youngest ever full-time driver in the all-electric series.
Barnard is sitting 20th in the Formula 2 standings with one victory at the Sprint Race in Monaco. But the Brit will replaced for the rounds at Monza and Baku by Dutch driver Niels Koolen.
The 23-year-old is currently competing in Indy NXT, and it is safe to say that the announcement of the switch at AIX has not gone down well with fans.
Fans fume over AIX Racing bringing in Niels Koolen
Koolen has had a pretty unsuccessful junior career, scoring zero points in any championship he raced in up until venturing into Indy NXT, where he currently sits 20th in the standings with 140 points.
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Even then, unlike F2, drivers score points regardless of where their finish in NXT, with Koolen’s best result being 10th at Indianapolis – his only top 10 of the year so far.
Fans took to X to express their thoughts on the news of the Dutchman joining the F2 grid, and they did not hold back.
German journalist Norman Fischer was so perplexed by the signing of Koolen that he even suggested that he could do a better job than the 23-year-old, as he wrote: “Phew, he has scored zero points in all junior series so far – expect in Indy NXT, where even I would get points for stalling the car three times and taking two minutes longer per lap.
“That doesn’t exactly speak Formula 2.”
Other fans echoed the same feeling. One fan wrote: “A driver with 0 points in his whole single seater career, a respectable series.”
Another user simply said: “Who?”
Another said: “What a joke,” followed by a cry-laughing emoji.
One user pointed out the sum of money that may have got Koolen the drive: “How much did his father pay?” Another shared the same feeling as they wrote; “Paydriver alert.”
One fan simply responded with a picture of former F2 driver Alessio Deledda, who also had an uninspiring junior career and languished at the back of the grid as he looked significantly off the pace compared to other drivers.
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Can Niels Koolen perform in Formula 2?
With Koolen racing in F2 at Monza and Baku, the fact that his junior career has seen him score no points in that time is alarming.
Having previously competed in Italian F4 and the Formula Regional European Championship, even with his points in Indy NXT, jumping to F2 will be a challenging step for the Dutchman.
Furthermore, AIX Racing have struggled this season. With drivers Barnard and Joshua Durksen scoring one podium each so far in 2024, the German team are last in the teams’ championship with just 43 points.
Monza and Baku will each present a difficult challenge for Koolen, who is already feeling the pressure from fans and the media.