The Monaco E-Prix streets brought a wave of reflection and optimism from rising star Taylor Barnard. Speaking to Pit Debrief ahead of the doubleheader in the principality, the young Brit shared insight into his journey, his development over the past year, and the thrill of racing at one of motorsport’s most iconic venues.
A welcome return for Barnard
Barnard’s connection to Monaco runs deeper than most rookies. It was here, a year ago, that he was thrust into his Formula E debut following Sam Bird’s injury. With little preparation, Barnard finished 14th, showing composure beyond his experience. Now, just a year later, the McLaren driver returns to the Monaco E-Prix not as a stand-in, but as a podium contender.
“This has been my Formula E journey I’ve started, so it’s nice to be back,” Barnard said. “I think Monaco’s a special place anyway, so yeah, it’s great to be back.”
And Barnard’s growth has been remarkable. Season 11 has seen the rookie rise rapidly through the ranks. With three podiums under his belt and sitting fourth in the drivers’ championship, he’s proven his talent and made history along the way, becoming the youngest polesitter, points scorer, and podium finisher in Formula E history.
While Monaco’s doubleheader format has drawn criticism from purists who believe it dilutes the prestige of a single race win, Barnard sees it differently.
“More racing for us in Monaco is better, so to be honest, I’ve not really heard that before, but from a driver’s perspective, the more racing we get here, the better.”
That driver-focused mindset is one Barnard has carried throughout the season. Despite a tough qualifying session in Miami, where he started 11th, he remained focused on extracting every possible opportunity during the race itself. It’s that mentality that has helped McLaren improve significantly from their Season 10 performance, where they finished seventh overall with 101 points. McLaren has already scored 67 points this season, well on their way to surpassing last years total.
The approach to the Monaco E-Prix double-header
As for whether anything has fundamentally changed in his approach for the Monaco E-Prix this year?
“Not really, I mean, the start of the season has been great, there’s definitely things which I’ve learned, mistakes that I’ve made at the start of the season,” Barnard explained. “I think we have a good car, so coming into this weekend specifically, I feel very confident.”
With experience in both Formula 2 and Formula E, Barnard also weighed in on the differences between the two and what makes racing in FE, especially around Monaco, so unique.
“To be honest, I enjoy both a lot,” he said. “Formula E, I would say it’s closer, the gaps that we have in qualifying are super super tight, which makes it a little bit more special for me, and to be honest, any car, any track, I just enjoy driving.”
But what truly sets Formula E apart for Barnard is its unpredictability.
“Yeah, exactly, I mean, the race is a completely different story, and Formula E, you can actually overtake,” he said, referring to last year’s Monaco E-Prix race, which saw 119 overtakes. “I’m sure you rely on qualifying a little bit, but you can still win the race from last, which is something special about Formula E.”
