Sam Bird has achieved an awful lot in his racing career, but even at 36 years old with a silverware cabinet to rival many, there’s one dream that’s only now coming to fruition: driving for McLaren.

NEOM McLaren had been left with a vacant seat to fill at the end of our debut season in Formula E as René Rast took the difficult decision to depart the all-electric series to pursue other opportunities. The German driver had been an integral part of the team’s early successes and learnings and left big shoes to fill.

When Ian James and his team began their search for a replacement, one name stood out among the rest. They had learned that Sam Bird would be available following his departure from Jaguar and quickly made the serial race winner their first choice.

For Sam, it was an equally easy decision. Born in Twickenham, the British driver grew up in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, just down the road from our Formula 1 team’s base and jumped at the chance to drive for McLaren and realise a life-long ambition.

“When I got the call, it was a no-brainer,” Sam 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!”

Sam arrives with one of Formula E’s most impressive CVs. The 36-year-old has raced in the all-electric series since its inception, winning 11 races and taking 26 podiums and six poles across nine seasons and 112 starts.

He began his single-seater career in Formula BMW in 2004 and has since raced in Formula Renault, Formula 3, GP2, and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), in addition to holding Formula 1 roles with Williams and Mercedes. 

The mutual desire from Sam and the team at NEOM McLaren to make the deal happen was a big appeal for both sides, but it’s little surprise that Ian wanted someone as experienced and quick as Sam to fill René’s vacated seat.

“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,” Sam says. “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.” 

Since joining in August, Sam has spent time at our McLaren Technology Centre base - in addition to our Formula E team base in Bicester - utilising our next-gen simulator and working with his new team, which includes some familiar faces from his previous sides.  

Speaking from the MTC following a simulator session, Sam says: “We’re doing this interview in the amazing MTC, where I do my simulator sessions, as opposed to where our FE team are based in Bicester.  

“When you arrive at the MTC, you get excited when you walk up to it. Where I park and come into the building, you go down these windy stairs and walk down these very long corridors, which look like something out of a Sci-fi movie, and then you walk up these stairs and come out onto the Boulevard.  

“I don’t think there is a lobby in the world that is as special as the MTC Boulevard. Even 20 years on from its inception, it is still futuristic. It’s stunning, absolutely breathtaking.”  

The 36-year-old has fitted in seamlessly with the team and hit the ground running at his first official test in our Formula E machinery at the end of October in Valencia, racking up 209 laps across two days.  

“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. 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.” 

Sam impressed the team with his feedback and the speed at which he acclimatised to our car and ways of working. He’s also left a positive impression on his new teammate, Jake Hughes, who is six years his junior.  

Together with the team, they believe we can improve on an up-and-down first season in FE, which included two poles, a podium and plenty of raw pace, but lacked consistency.   

“Even in my first month, I had already seen some changes,” Sam says. “I’m hoping that I’ve had a positive impact on the team. They're already contemplating and pushing some of my ideas forward, so I'm hoping those things will bring results. 

“I have been very impressed with Jake. His feedback is great, and he's well-loved within the team. He's a nice, down-to-earth, humble guy. And he likes golf as well, so that's a bonus.” 

The season is still over a month away, but the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team is well in the swing of things.