Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Taylor Barnard will line up alongside fellow PHM Racing-backed driver Nikita Bedrin at Jenzer Motorsport for his rookie the FIA Formula 3 season.
Before 2022, the 18-year-old had struggled with budget and had failed in car racing to replicate the results he achieved in karting where he was a runner-up in both the CIK-FIA World and European championships.
Barnard was a protege of Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg in karting, and made his single-seater debut in Italian Formula 4 in 2020 before joining the Team Rosberg-linked BWR Motorsports for ADAC F4 two years ago.
He was unable to complete the season though, and switched to PHM for 2022 where he developed strongly and was ADAC F4 runner-up with five wins, came eighth in Italian F4 and won en route to ninth in the F4 United Arab Emirates standings.
PHM is continuing to support Barnard’s career, and announced last month he would race in FIA F3 in 2023. It has opted to place him with its partner team Jenzer, who Barnard drove for in the 2022 post-season F3 test at Jerez, rather than its own PHM Racing by Charouz operation.
“I am really happy to continue working with Jenzer Motorsport after a successful first outing at Jerez, we have made good progress throughout the winter and I am more than delighted to get started with the FIA F3 season,” said Barnard.
“This is by far the biggest step in my career, and it is going to be a challenge, but definitely one I am ready for. I would like to thank everyone at PHM Racing for this huge opportunity and everyone at Jenzer for making this all possible.”
Since his F3 test at Jerez, where Barnard topped the final session, he has raced for PHM again in this year’s Formula Regional Middle East championship. He is currently second in the standings with one win as the season approaches its halfway point.
PHM owner Paul Muller added: “Taylor has had a great year in F4 with us and showed some of his potential already in the FRegional championship. I am sure he will be an exciting addition to the F3 paddock.
“As one of the first PHM drivers to go through our new programme, he will show the results of our new approach to driver development.”
Roland Rehfeld, PHM’s team manager, called Barnard “without any doubt, one of the most skilled and talented drivers” and believes that “Jenzer will have with him and Nikita the strongest rookie line-up in FIA F3 in 2023”.