NEOM McLaren Formula E Team

Japan is a very important round

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Tokyo E-Prix, a public road race that attracted much attention when it was first held at Odaiba in Tokyo last year, is returning to Tokyo this year. Following on from the positive reception it received last year, the Tokyo E-Prix will be a double-header race held over two days, Saturday and Sunday, May 17th and 18th, as rounds 8 and 9 of the 2024/25 season.

On May 16th, the day before the full-scale race began, Ian James, who will lead the NEOM McLaren Electric Racing team from 2022, Sam Bird, who has been competing in Formula E since its early days and boasts a total of 12 wins, and Taylor Barnard, who is only 20 years old and has already achieved three podium finishes this season despite being in his first full year of competition, were interviewed.

First, he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Tokyo setting.

Ian James (hereinafter James)　: Japan is a very important market for McLaren. Memories of Ayrton Senna and McLaren-Honda from his F1 days remain strong, and there are still many fans there. Furthermore, the current Formula E series uses Nissan powertrains and we have a technology partnership with the Japanese company TDK, so the Tokyo E-Prix is an extremely important round.

Sam Bird (hereafter Bird):　The Tokyo course is very unique. It’s narrow and bumpy, with a mix of old and new pavement. The car jumps for a moment between turns 2 and 3, and the loss in attack mode has become larger, so strategy has become even more important. There are a wide range of sectors, from low to high speed, and the grip changes greatly, so it’s a very interesting course for a driver.

Veteran driver Bird explained the evolution of Formula E, which is now in its 11th season.

When I started racing in Season 1, we had to switch between two cars during one race. But now we can complete the race with just one car, and the power output has doubled from 150kW to 350kW. The overall level of the cars　, teams, and drivers has improved, and I really feel that we have become a true world championship.

Veteran talks about young teammates

Taylor Bernard came in third in the eighth race. — Taylor Bernard

The combination of Bird, who will be competing from Season 1, and rookie Bernard, who will be competing full-time for the first time this year, is also interesting.

This is Taylor Barnard’s　first full season, so everything is a new experience. He has completed hundreds of laps on the Tokyo course in the simulator at the McLaren Technology Centre. He has also worked with a mental trainer to prepare for the challenging public road course. Unlike junior Formula, Formula E is always wheel-to-wheel, with close, aggressive racing.

Bird-　Taylor is one of the most exciting talents in Formula E this season. He’s fast and highly regarded both inside and outside his team. He’s still new to media relations, but he’ll get used to it soon. His first win is only a matter of time.

Taylor crashed during Free Practice 1 immediately after the interview, but made a remarkable recovery in Round 8 when qualifying was canceled due to heavy rain, taking third place on the podium. Bird fell to the back of the pack due to the red flag interruption, finishing in 14th place.

NEOM McLaren Electric Racing has announced that it will withdraw from Formula E at the end of this season.

James　: With many programs, including F1, IndyCar, and GT, Formula E has become less directly related to McLaren Automotive’s current road car business, so we have decided to reallocate resources. Of course, we have great faith in the future of the Formula E series itself, and we are by no means dismissing it.

Customer racing as a new mission

From December 2024, James will be McLaren Automotive’s Motorsport Director, overseeing all GT and customer racing. At the same time, James himself has considerable experience as a gentleman driver. How can McLaren engage with these “gentleman drivers” in the future, and what can McLaren offer to people who are passionate about driving fast?

James:　I love cars and grew up passionate about motorsports. Like many people, I dreamed of becoming a racing driver. But I quickly realized that my talent alone wasn’t enough to make me fast (laughs). When you actually watch professional drivers race up close, you realize there’s a huge gap between us and them.

However, that doesn’t mean that everyone has to reach that level to enjoy the joy of driving fast. McLaren says it has a system in place to allow gentleman drivers to enjoy motorsports.

In addition to its works activities in F1, Formula E, IndyCar, and GT, James　McLaren also has a “Customer Racing Program.” This allows gentleman drivers to participate in the world of racing with McLaren. We have a system in place that allows them to step up from the one-make McLaren Trophy to GT4 and GT3. We would like to expand the McLaren Trophy to Asia in the future. In fact, many gentleman drivers have been successful through this route.

James concluded his remarks with a persuasive tone, drawing on his own experience.

James　: The most memorable recent races were when Emerson Fittipaldi waved the checkered flag in Bird’s victory in Sao Paulo last year, and when Barnard took pole position in Monaco this year. I’m proud of their achievements, but I was equally moved by seeing a gentleman driver win his class at the Daytona 24 Hours in a GT4 car. I’m proud that McLaren can be the bridge that makes that dream come true.

NEOM McLaren finished third in the 8th round of the Tokyo E-Prix. It will be interesting to see what drama awaits them in the 9th round the following day.

PHOTO/McLaren Automotive, GENROQ, Formula E