Sunday, 12 May 2024

Hear from NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers Taylor Barnard, Jake Hughes, and Team Principal Ian James after Round 10 in Berlin.

Free Practice 3	1:02.639	P18
Qualifying	1:02.916	P19
Race		P8

“FP3 went very well for us this morning, showing good pace. We thought we could take that into Qualifying. That ended up being the opposite, and I was almost last, which is not what we wanted. Going into the race, I started P18, so our strategy was to save as much energy as we could at the start to use later in the race, which we saw other drivers do yesterday.

"Having said that, it was a different race today. Today, targets were higher and everyone could be more strategic with their driving. Everyone had more time and there was less chaos. This made it easier for drivers to defend.

"I still managed to finish P8 and score some points, which was good. I’m happy with that, especially as the driving was more aggressive and defensive. Overall, I’m very happy with my performance.”

Free Practice 3	1:02.716	P20
Qualifying	1:02.754	P14
Race		P12

“Today was another frustrating day, because the performance was there. During the race, we were very happy with our performance as a team and my own performance too. We were executing a good race with good strategy, running in seventh at one point. Similar to yesterday, where I was running sixth, we picked up damage on the car, to my front wing, which essentially ended my race on the spot.

"It’s frustrating as the performance has been there recently, but we haven’t been able to convert it due to front wing damage, some of which has been out of our control.

"Looking ahead to Shanghai, we need to stay focused and try our best to score some points."

“Berlin has been somewhat of an Achilles’ heel for the Nissan-powered cars, in terms of single-lap pace. That showed in our qualifying performance this weekend - despite some solid preparation and strong performance from our drivers. 

"Therefore, the fact that Taylor managed to score points in two days of chaotic racing against world-class competition proved his capability and talent. Despite the circumstances which led to his participation in the last three races, I’m very glad he had the opportunity to shine. 

"Jake also had a very strong race and was in a solid points-scoring position until he was, once again, on the receiving end of some robust driving. The damage received meant that he wasn’t able to capitalise on a good performance. 

"Now our attention turns to Shanghai which, with a more traditional track surface, should bring us back in contention.”

Championship Standings

NEOM McLaren Formula E Team: P7 (68 points)

Sam Bird: P10 (38 points)

Jake Hughes: P12 (25 points)

Taylor Barnard: P21 (5 points)