McLaren officially announce signing of NEW driver

McLaren have officially announced that their British reserve and development driver will be promoted to a full-time seat for next season

NEOM McLaren's 2023/24 season was nothing special, as they finished in seventh place in the championship with 101 points.

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Their British drivers Sam Bird and Jake Hughes both scored 48 points each, while Taylor Barnard scored the other five points.

However, after just three starts last season, the young superstar Barnard has been promoted to a full-time drive for the 2024/25 Formula E campaign.

McLaren complete driver pairing for 2024/25 Formula E season

Taylor Barnard, 20, joined NEOM McLaren as their reserve and development driver in 2024 and took part in three races, including his debut at the 2024 inaugural Misano ePrix.

He scored his best result at the 2024 Berlin ePrix with an eighth-place finish in the second race of the event.

The Norwich-born driver has previously raced in F3, F4 and currently races for AIX Racing in the F2 championship where he is currently in 20th place with 18 points.

In a statement released by McLaren, Barnard said: "I am delighted to be racing for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team in Season 11. In Season 10, I was the team’s Reserve and Development Driver and during that time I learnt a lot, putting my new knowledge into practice in Monaco and Berlin.

“I am excited to race alongside Sam this season, and I am sure I will learn a lot from him. He is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, and I hope that together we can score plenty of points and collect some trophies for the team.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to continue the journey with the team as full-time Formula E driver, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Bird 🤝 Barnard.

Season 11, let's go. 👊

— NEOM McLaren FE (@McLarenFE) August 27, 2024

NEOM McLaren managing director and team principal Ian James, said about the new driver pairing: "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.

"Going into his second season with us, I have no doubt that he [Sam Bird] and Taylor will bring the team the results we are aiming for.”

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