Taylor Barnard is venturing away from Formula 2 next season after not even completing his first season in the category.
The Brit was signed to AIX Racing for the 2024 campaign alongside Joshua Durksen, having graduated from Formula 3 the previous year, where he finished 10th with Jenzer Motorsport with one win and three podiums.
Barnard had already been racing with his Formula 2 team AIX Racing in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship under their previous name PHM Racing. The 20-year-old finished second in the series in 2023 and 2024.
In his 2024 campaign in F2, the Brit struggled for consistent results, finishing in the points only four times from the first 10 rounds. Among those four points finishes was his first win in the category, putting in a brilliant performance to take victory at the Sprint Race in Monaco.
However, following the round at Spa, Barnard’s F2 season was brought to an end as he confirmed his move to another category. Speaking with RacingNews365, the 20-year-old called out his fellow F2 drivers for not giving the series a chance.
Taylor Barnard labels his Formula 2 rivals as ‘close-minded’ for not trying out Formula E
The category in question is the all-electric series Formula E. Barnard confirmed that he will be joining McLaren for Season 11 alongside Sam Bird, becoming the youngest full-time driver in the championship’s history.
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Barnard was given a shot at Formula E in Season 10 after Bird was sidelined for three races with a broken wrist. The 20-year-old stepped into the McLaren for his debut at Monaco where he finished 14th, before scoring points at both races in Berlin, finishing 10th and eighth respectively.
Several F2 drivers tested FE machinery at the Berlin rookie test, and while it did highlight the growing interest in the category amongst young drivers, many of them still have their sights set on reaching Formula 1.
It has proven notoriously difficult for young talents to try and break away from the junior ladder, and according to Barnard, he believes his rivals are ‘close-minded’ when it comes to FE and focusing their attention on just one category.
“I feel like some people are too close-minded on what championship they want to drive in, but also it depends on what kind of situation they’re in and things like that,” he said.
“So obviously, for me, it was a bit different. I think Formula E is a good path for me to try to get out of F2 and into a professional career.
“Perhaps for some other people, that’s not what they want. I think it depends also on what teams you were driving with, what contacts you have to perhaps F1 or another championship.
“But for me, this made the most sense, and I feel comfortable with this team. And honestly, the experience that I had was great. So to be able to drive in Formula E, I’m very happy.”
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Taylor Barnard’s replacement Niels Koolen has been dropped by AIX Racing after just two rounds
After Barnard’s departure from AIX Racing, the German outfit brought in Indy NXT driver Niels Koolen for the rounds at Monza and Baku.
Koolen’s signing was met with widespread criticism as the Dutchman had failed to score a point in any championship up until his venture into Indy NXT, and perhaps as expected, it did not go to plan for the 23-year-old in F2.
Koolen qualified last at Monza, one second behind the next driver Roman Stanek, and finished 19th in both races. Baku was even worse, as he was 10 seconds off the pace in practice and qualified seven seconds off the pole time set by fellow countryman Richard Verschoor.
The 23-year-old was dropped following only his second event in the series, with AIX Racing yet to confirm his replacement for the final two rounds. However, the team have hinted that the driver in question will race with the team in 2025.