NEOM McLaren driver Taylor Barnard has indicated he would like to stay in Formula E, as the British youngster faces an uncertain future with the team opting to pull out at the end of the season.
Barnard, who was signed as a full-time driver for this season after impressing as a stand-in in Season 10, has already become the all-electric chamionship’s youngest-ever points-scorer, podium-finish and pole-sitter.
However, McLaren has made the difficult decision to withdraw from FE at the end of the campaign, which leaves the sport’s brightest young talent facing a predicament as to where his future will lay.
Barnard told Motorsport Week he was “super thankful” to the team for “giving [him] his first professional seat as a racing driver,” and said his loyalty as a racing driver means he is always grateful for what comes his way.
With that in mind, when asked whether he would be open to signing for McLaren in another category if offered, or whether he would prefer to stay in FE, Barnard was realistic about keeping his options open
“I think both are opportunities I’m willing to explore,” he said. “I see myself in Formula E in the next couple of years, honestly. I really like the championship. I like the way that everything’s evolving still. GEN4 looks very exciting, so I’m interested in staying for that.
“Again, I really don’t know what the future is going to hold. But again, if I get the opportunity to pursue something further with McLaren, I’m also open to doing that.
“So honestly, I don’t know. I need to keep scoring points. I need to keep my name at the top of the table as much as I possibly can. And what the future will hold, it’ll be where it’ll be.”
Pit Boost race to give McLaren an advantage, says Barnard
Barnard scored his first-ever FE podium in Jeddah, where the double-header weekend saw the debut of Pit Boost.
In that race, Barnard qualified fourth, and took his first of two podiums that weekend.
With the form book pointing towards a good showing in Monaco this weekend, Barnard believes that Race 1, where Pit Boost will be used, will make qualifying more crucial, which plays into his and the team’s favour.
“I think it’s going to make the race a little bit more flat, so qualifying will be a little bit more important,” he said. “I think that would play into our hands a little bit more.
“Although I don’t think we’ve been bad in the races so far, I think we’re very strong in qualy. So hopefully that plays into our hands a little bit more.
“I mean, I think we’re going to have a fast car this weekend. We just need to make sure that we put everything together and try and get the results out of it.”
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