Photo: McLaren
Taylor Barnard will serve as McLaren’s reserve and development driver in Formula E this season, which gets underway this weekend.
However the 19-year-old Briton will not be available to McLaren for the season-opening Mexico City E-Prix, since he will be beginning his Formula Regional Middle East title attack with PHM Racing at Yas Marina Circuit. He has no further racing plans for 2024 announced.
Barnard was FRME runner-up last year and also an FIA Formula 3 Championship race-winner. In 2022 he was ADAC Formula 4 runner-up, eighth in Italian F4 and ninth in F4 United Arab Emirates.
“I’m super excited and honoured to be joining the McLaren FE team as a reserve and development Driver,” said Barnard. “Having an opportunity to work with a team such as McLaren is a great opportunity for my future and I will be working as hard as I can to support the team and working hard to learn as much as possible.”
FE held its pre-season test at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit last October, and Barnard was in action for McLaren. Impressing in that outing helped convince the team he should continue working with them.
“I’m delighted to officially welcome Taylor to the team, after giving him his first taste of electric racing in Valencia last October,” commented McLaren’s FE team principal Ian James.
“He is an incredibly impressive up-and-coming talent in single-seater motorsport, and I’m looking forward to working with him in 2024. Taylor will play an important role within our team, and I am confident he will be adding value to the McLaren FE team with his drive and talent, while also gaining valuable experience himself along the way.”