It has been incredibly rare for a young talented driver to leave the junior ladder of motorsport and step into the all-electric series, Formula E.
That is exactly what is being done by Taylor Barnard who will join McLaren for Season 11 alongside Sam Bird, replacing Jake Hughes who will join Maserati.
Barnard becomes the youngest ever full-time Formula E driver at just 20 years old. The Brit has driven in FE before, having stood in for his now teammate Bird in Monaco and Berlin last season after he was sidelined with a broken wrist.
Moving over from AIX Racing in Formula 2, Barnard labelled many of his F2 rivals as close-minded for focusing their efforts on reaching Formula 1 and not branching out into other categories.
But the Brit will not be the only youngster moving across to the all-electric category, as F2 title contender Zane Maloney will make the switch to ABT Lola for the 2024/25 season alongside Lucas di Grassi.
While this will no doubt show that FE are beginning to attract young and exciting talent to the series, not every driver is looking to make the move over.
Felipe Drugovich and Robert Shwartzman are ‘not prepared’ to make the switch to Formula E
Maloney becomes the second youngest driver in FE history behind Barnard and ABT Lola seem to have the Barbadian in their long-term plans and they view him as a star for the future.
READ MORE: Who is new ABT Lola Formula E driver Zane Maloney? Everything you need to know
Currently competing in F2 and serving as Sauber’s reserve driver in F1, Maloney had previously acted as a test and reserve driver for Andretti in FE, and will now embark on the series full-time as it heads into the Gen3 Evo era.
But while the 20-year-old is moving over, according to a report from The Race, fellow F1 reserves Felipe Drugovich and Robert Shwartzman are ‘not prepared’ to make the switch to FE.
Like Maloney, the duo have also previously tested FE machinery, with Drugovich acting as a test driver for Maserati in the 2022/23 season, while Shwartzman has had a similar role with DS Penske for the last two seasons.
Drugovich has been the reserve driver for Aston Martin since the 2022 season, where he won the F2 title in dominant fashion. While the Brazilian was hoping for a full-time seat with the team, they instead opted to retain Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, leaving the 24-year-old on the sidelines.
After finishing second in F2 in 2021, Shwartzman has been the Ferrari test driver and has been linked with a move to Sauber, but it does not seem likely that the Russian-Israeli driver will land the seat.
Even with their future uncertain in 2025, it appears that the two drivers are unwilling to accept offers along with Barnard and Maloney to join the new-found ‘youth movement’ in FE.
READ MORE: Formula E 2024/25 grid with every team’s confirmed line-up and Season 11 driver contracts
Where next for Felipe Drugovich and Robert Shwartzman?
With F1 almost completely off the table and FE rejected by the duo, the options for Drugovich and Shwartzman for a full-time race seat are limited.
The latter is currently competed in the WEC with Ferrari’s non-customer team AF Corse, having grabbed a win at Lone Star Le Mans in Austin. The former has only made four starts in the European Le Mans Series this season, which are his only racing appearances since leaving F2 in 2022.
Former F1 driver Felipe Massa has predicted Drugovich to move to the WEC next season. As it happens, Aston Martin are joining the Hypercar class in 2025 and are in the market for their drivers.
There is every chance that Shwartzman could remain in the championship with Ferrari next season, but the 25-year-old has been linked with the second PREMA seat in IndyCar alongside Callum Illot.