McLaren have completed their driver line-up for the 2024/25 Formula E season, the first of the Gen3 Evo era.
The Woking-based squad joined the Formula E grid in the 2022-23 season and have operated as a customer team, powered by Nissan.
McLaren finished eighth in the teams’ championship in their debut season in what was a difficult season for drivers Jake Hughes and Rene Rast. While Rast achieved the team’s first podium with third in the second race in Diriyah, they struggled for regular points.
Last season, 12-time ePrix winner Sam Bird replaced Rast and partnered Hughes. McLaren again struggled with inconsistency with 12 points finishes across both cars and finished the year seventh in the standings as the second lowest performing customer team.
The team had been searching for a replacement for Hughes after he made the switch to Maserati for Season 11. Now, McLaren have found Bird’s teammate for next year with the signing of Taylor Barnard.
Taylor Barnard signs for McLaren for Season 11 of Formula E
Barnard has already had a taste of Formula E action having replaced Bird for three races last season after the latter suffered a hand injury in a crash in practice at Monte Carlo.
The Brit stepped into the car for his FE debut in Monaco – where he later won in the sprint race in Formula 2 – and finished in 14th.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Taylor Barnard from praise to career stats
Barnard remained in Bird’s seat for the doubleheader in Berlin, where he would score points in both races in 10th and eighth respectively, before the Sao Paulo ePrix winner returned to McLaren in Shanghai.
According to The Race, discussions with Barnard over a seat with McLaren had been going on since early June and that terms had been agreed last month. The signing of Barnard makes him the youngest full time FE driver in history at the age of 20.
And Barnard stated that his decision to sign with McLaren was “kind of a no-brainer.”
He said: “When I was even a reserve driver not actually doing the race weekends, the team are so positive, so helpful. so, it just feels so right for me to be here.
“I was hoping and wanting the opportunity to come up. And as soon as I got it, I took it with both hands. It wasn’t really a decision I had to think about that much.”
Can Taylor Barnard perform at McLaren?
Following two disappointing seasons in FE, McLaren will be hoping to improve their fortunes for Season 11.
Next season marks the start of the Gen3 Evo era, which will see a huge technological change coming to the sport with the fastest cars in FE history joining the sport.
READ MORE: Zak Brown shares what ‘awesome’ Sam Bird did for McLaren’s Formula E team that he loved last season
McLaren go into the season with an exciting driver pairing. Bird’s win at Sao Paulo shows that he is still capable of performing, while Barnard showed great potential in his cameos for the team in place of his now teammate.
The Woking squad showed in parts last year that they can get solid results, and with Barnard on board and a new era for the sport, the team may be able to iron out their inconsistencies.