Read time: 9.10 minutes

It’s not every day that someone from outside the team gets to drive a McLaren race car, but that’s exactly what happened last week at Formula E’s Evo Sessions event in Miami.

Technology journalist and content creator Cleo Abram - best-known for her online series ‘Huge if True’ - became a fully-embedded member of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for the unique event, which saw her and 10 other media personalities get behind the wheel of Formula E’s GEN3 Evo cars to learn exactly what it takes to become a real racing driver.

This wasn’t a simple case of putting a star in a car and letting them take a lap or two under supervision, this was the real deal – or as close to it as one can get – and NEOM McLaren driver Sam Bird was on-hand to guide her through the whole process.

“Sam has been incredibly helpful and generous,” says Cleo. “He’s been teaching me what it's like to be a Formula E driver, and what I hope I can do is show people just how hard that job is.

“He's been encouraging and kind, and pushes me when he thinks I can do it. He's been very patient in teaching me things that I'm sure are very obvious to him, where to brake, where the racing line is, because those are all new concepts to me. And he's been incredibly empathetic to a person who has only ever driven a road car.”

Cleo’s commitment to the cause extended beyond her time at the track and her organised preparation at the McLaren Technology Centre and NEOM McLaren Electric Racing’s Bicester HQ. She spent time studying whenever she was on the move, and dedicated hours to improving her fitness.

“I had two bits of homework,” she says. “Firstly, I had a booklet to learn everything about the steering wheel from. 

 

Driving a real Formula E car was such a huge honor and a feeling I'll never forget! I've never experienced anything like it. And maybe the best part was getting to know the @McLarenFE team 🧡 https://t.co/8OioafaZsR

— Cleo Abram (@cleoabram) March 8, 2025

“Then, while I've been travelling, I studied my race map and my videos from the sim – I have a video of Sam in the sim that was helping me learn my racing line, too. One of the things that was the most interesting for me, when learning what it's like to be a Formula E driver, is how they plan three, four, five turns ahead. Watching videos of Sam and looking at the data that came out of my day in the sim, I had the chance to practice in my mind over and over and over again.

“And then, Sam was telling me about the exercises that he does, so I also did some neck lifts at home.”

Being fully integrated into the team meant that Cleo didn’t just learn how to drive the car, but about all aspects of the team. While the drivers might get the most attention, there’s a whole army of people behind every car on track, and they’re constantly working with the driver to optimise their performance.

“I've learned just how much goes into it all,” she says. “I've been amazed by how much strategy and planning needs to go into where your racing line should be, and how much physical strength is required to turn the car and brake at those speeds.

"Everyone in the NEOM McLaren team supports each other so much with their different skills and knowledge. I saw that from coming out of the car and sitting with the team, analysing data, getting back in, having a Race Engineer in my ear, and then of course, having Sam in my corner.”

Cleo got behind the wheel of the GEN3 Evo car with plenty of preparation, but no amount of groundwork could prepare her for the feelings and emotions of the real thing, with there being even more to think about once she was strapped in.

“There's nothing like it,” she says. “Your adrenaline is pumping, you're feeling all of the possible feelings in the world. You're feeling excited, nervous, scared, like you want to make the team proud, and ‘how do I make sure that I am showing what I've learned, and at the same time, making sure I don't hurt the car or hurt myself?’

“You want to push yourself, but at the same time, you don't want to come to believe that you're anywhere close to a real race car driver and push yourself too far.”

She hugely impressed the team, with Sam describing her performance as “honestly brilliant”.

“Every lap she got quicker,” he said. “We could see her unofficial times – the sectors and her lap times – and we were thrilled to see the progression. I think she's done a very solid job.”

But while getting around the Miami International Autodrome was an achievement in itself, the primary aim of Evo Sessions was to bring fans closer to the sport, and to show them what it takes to become a professional driver. Sam believes the event achieved that aim, while also being beneficial for Formula E teams as well.

“All the creators are getting some very cool content and I think everybody is leaving with a positive reaction, so that's good,” he says. “If it means that we get an extra 200,000 followers or half a million followers, which then turns into another few thousand people coming to races, or 20,000 new real hardcore Formula E fans, then this session has done its job.”

As a technology journalist, Cleo was keen to show how Formula E could not only be embraced by existing motorsport fans, but those interested in innovation and engineering as well.

“There are so many different ways to be a fan of Formula E, and that's very special,” she says. “That's true for many sports, but this is a sport where there's so much engineering and design, and there's so much to learn about the aerodynamics and control of the car, the racing strategy, and energy management.

“I think by allowing more people to have the opportunity to drive the car, to have the opportunity to share their experience, you're allowing more people to become fans because they can have a different entry point to the sport.”

But above all else, Cleo’s biggest takeaway from Evo Sessions was how different driving a Formula E car really is.

“I feel totally in awe of what these drivers do,” she says. “To say that what these drivers do is driving a car, is like saying that what an astronaut does is going for a walk. It's just so complicated and technologically advanced, and scary at times, and beautiful.

"I just stand in awe of the drivers that do this for real. The team has allowed me the opportunity to feel like I belong here for a few days. And what I'm coming away feeling, is just that deep appreciation for the people who really do belong.”