McLaren boasts a strong driver pairing for Season 11 of Formula E as the all-electric category heads into the Gen3 Evo era.
The Woking-based squad have endured a difficult time in Formula E since joining the sport in the 2022/23 season as a customer team.
Powered by Nissan, McLaren struggled for regular points finishes as drivers Jake Hughes and Rene Rast could only managed eighth overall in the team’s championship. Rast scored the team’s first and only podium of the year with third in the second race in Diriyah.
The German was replaced by experienced FE driver Sam Bird and while the team showed promising signs of performance, consistency was a huge problem as the team languished in seventh.
With exciting technological changes on the horizon, the McLaren bosses are adamant that they have an ‘impressive’ line-up heading into next season.
McLaren chief Ian James ‘impressed’ by new signing Taylor Barnard
As Season 10 came to a close, it seemed McLaren already had what they needed for next season in Bird and Hughes.
READ MORE: Zak Brown shares what ‘awesome’ Sam Bird did for McLaren’s Formula E team that he loved last season
The former secured the team’s first ever FE win with a dramatic overtake on Mitch Evans on the penultimate corner to take victory at Sao Paulo, while the latter grabbed second place at Shanghai.
However, that was put to a halt after Hughes announced his shock exit for Maserati, partnering with Season eight champion Stoffel Vandoorne.
With McLaren searching for a second driver, Taylor Barnard emerged a potential candidate. The 20-year-old, who is currently in Formula 2, stepped in to replace Bird at Monaco and Berlin after the 30-year-old suffered a hand injury in practice at Monte Carlo.
In his three races, Barnard displayed some impressive skills, scoring points at both races in Berlin with 10th and eighth respectively. With the prospect of driving in FE full-time and discussions going on since June, Barnard says signing with McLaren was a ‘no-brainer’.
With a Bird and Barnard partnership, team principal Ian James is ‘delighted’ with their line-up following the latter’s solid performances in his cameos last season.
Speaking in a team release, James said: “I am delighted with our line-up of Taylor and Sam for Season 11, our third in Formula E as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team.
“Throughout his time with the team last season in his role of Reserve and Development Driver, Taylor has shown dedication, professionalism and talent both on the track and off it. He relished a rare opportunity to demonstrate his ability at very short notice in Monaco and impressed the entire paddock. His grasp of Formula E was further underscored by strong, points-scoring races in Berlin.”
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Will the Bird-Barnard partnership work for McLaren?
The Gen3 Evo car will be the fastest car in FE history, and in fact the fastest accelerating car in an FIA championship.
With new machinery, McLaren have a great opportunity to capitalise and give themselves a competitive package.
The problem is their inconsistency. McLaren showed they can fight and grab decent results last season, but in total, they finished in the points 12 times between their two cars.
But the Woking squad are making progress. Brown believes McLaren is in ‘good stead’ under team boss James, and with experienced head Bird who is still capable of a win and young exciting talent Barnard, the team has what they need to be successful.