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Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula E

Bird: NEOM McLaren switch ‘a no-brainer’

by Nick Golding
2 years ago
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Bird: NEOM McLaren switch ‘a no-brainer’

Credit: Sam Bagnall courtesy of FIA Formula E

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Sam Bird has admitted that moving to the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for season 10 was “a no-brainer”, following his Jaguar TCS Racing departure at the end of season nine.

After spending three seasons with Jaguar, Bird’s move to McLaren is a smart one, given how useful his vast Formula E experience will be to the Woking-based side. His time at Jaguar certainly didn’t go as well as many expected it to when the move was announced, with inconsistent performances and bad luck having been a consistent theme.

He was also being consistently out-performed by Mitch Evans, who contested for the title in the three seasons he was partnered by Bird. The statistics from the last three years aren’t in Bird’s favour. Bird picked up two wins during his stint with Jaguar, whilst Evans was victorious eight times whilst alongside the British driver.

In racing, some moves work and some don’t; Bird at Jaguar was sadly the latter. However, on his day, he remains as one of the quickest drivers on the grid who can always be guaranteed to make progress during a race. As mentioned, his knowledge will also be invaluable to McLaren, who are set to embark on just their second season in Formula E.

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Whilst Jake Hughes proved in season nine that he’s incredibly quick, he still doesn’t boast the sort of experience that Bird has, given that the 36-year-old has competed in every season of the all-electric series. This could work massively in Hughes’ favour, as he’ll be able to learn from Bird and improve as a result.

Above: Hughes (L) and Bird (R) have already formed a good relationship – Credit: Sam Bagnall courtesy of FIA Formula E

Unlike at Jaguar, Bird won’t have the pressure of having a package that will be able to compete at the front in each event, as that’s simply not where McLaren currently are. There is no reason why they can’t get there, though, with the help of Bird to develop the still very new team.

Whilst a mid-pack Formula E team, McLaren are, of course, one of the most famous names in motorsport, with it having been a dream of Bird’s to race for the historic outfit. He also already knows McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who he has played golf with for the past “six or seven years”.

McLaren feels like Bird’s “perfect match”, with accepting the offer from the British side having been a “very quick” and “easy” decision.

“When I got the call, it was a no-brainer,” Bird said. “It was very, very quick, easy. I’ve always wanted to be a McLaren driver. Becoming part of a team with so much heritage and prestige as the McLaren Racing family feels special.

“I’ve actually been playing golf with Zak [Brown] for maybe six or seven years, and we get on very well. I trust and admire him for what he has achieved at McLaren. It all felt like a perfect match. Zak plays at courses that I could only dream of – he’s even got to play golf at Augusta. I’m hoping I’ll get an invite if I win races this year!”

Whilst Bird managed to claim four rostrums in the 2022/23 campaign, everyone in the paddock knows that he’s capable of so much more. He is an 11-time Formula E race winner, highlighting his immense speed and talent. When he’s “in a good place”, Bird is one of the best on the grid, with his race pace often being exemplary.

Above: Bird’s most recent podium came in the second race of the S9 Rome double-header – Credit: Simon Galloway courtesy of FIA Formula E

If McLaren can consistently get the best out of Bird, then there is every chance that they can contest for “podiums and eventually wins”, something the driver himself is targeting if he can get the “best out of the race team”.

“I believe that when I’m put in the right environment, which is happy, and if I’m getting the best out of the race team, then they’ll be getting podiums and eventually wins,” Bird said. “I think when I’m in a good place, I can race extremely well. I don’t think I ever go backwards in a race, I don’t think I ever have gone backwards in a race, so I’d say that’s probably my strength.

“So far, it has been brilliant, and I am really happy to be here. Everybody has been great, and I am thoroughly enjoying working with the team and getting my teeth stuck into this project. There’s a lot of hard work ahead, but I am enjoying it.”

One thing which has made life easy for Bird to settle into McLaren, is that he already knows some of the team. Bird’s engineer will actually be Stephen Lane, who he worked with whilst at DS Virgin/Envision Virgin. Bird was no stranger to the top step of the podium when he previously worked with Lane. This could help get Bird back to the top.

It’s incredible to think that Bird has almost gone three years without a victory in Formula E, considering that he won at least one race in every season of the sport from season one to season seven. Like him, McLaren are “hungry for success”, with the big target being to at least try and claim some race wins. Podiums are expected at the very least.

Above: Bird completed 209 laps during the recent pre-season rest in Valencia – Credit: Simon Galloway courtesy of FIA Formula E

Hopes of podiums and victories aside, Bird and McLaren are invested in trying to get the team “much higher up the grid” and to build on from the side’s debut campaign, which the veteran driver has described as a “learning year”.

“I already know a couple of people in the team as I have worked with them before, and I know how high their work ethic and their passion towards what they do is,” explained Bird. “For example, my engineer will be Stephen Lane, and we’ve won races together before.

“This team is hungry for success, and they’ve had success before, from when they were known as the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. I would say last year was more of a learning year, and I think we have slightly higher expectations this year.

“We are aiming for multiple podiums, we are aiming to try and win races, and we are definitely aiming to get NEOM McLaren much higher up the grid.”

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