Taylor Barnard came heartbreakingly close to a potential victory in the first race of the Jeddah E-Prix, but a mid-race battle and an early pit stop may have cost him a chance at the top step of the podium.
The NEOM McLaren driver crossed the line in third place, just behind race winner Maximilian Günther and Oliver Rowland, but as he reflected on his race, Barnard couldn’t help but feel like a win was within reach.
The Mistake That Changed the Race
Barnard was in a strong position early but admitted that losing places to Nyck de Vries and Jake Hughes proved costly.
“I made a mistake by letting Nyck past on Lap 10, and then Jake got past as well, which hindered my race a little bit,” Barnard said.
“I over-consumed trying to catch him. I saw the timer on my steering wheel and knew I had only 15 seconds of Attack Mode left, so I had one chance. I made it very aggressive.”
That extra energy usage put Barnard on the back foot, forcing him to push harder to recover lost ground. Despite catching the leaders in the final laps, he ran out of time to make a decisive move.
“With how close I was in the last couple of laps, for sure a win was possible,” he said. “But Oli [Rowland] was defending very well. And when you’re the third guy trying to make a move, it’s very difficult, especially around here.”
Could Pit Stop Timing Have Made the Difference?
While Rowland stayed out longer before pitting, Barnard came in early, which could have made a difference in his final charge.
“It was part of the plan from the beginning,” Barnard said of the early stop. “I think we executed everything very well. I lost a bit of time, but I don’t know if that’s because I entered behind the Maserati [Jake Hughes] and lost a little bit of time behind him.”
Had he avoided losing time behind Hughes, Barnard believes he might have leapfrogged Rowland in the pits.
“It’s all ifs, buts, and maybes,” he concluded. “But I think we did a good race as a team, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”
Barnard’s Breakthrough Performance
Despite falling just short of victory, Barnard’s podium finish was a massive statement for the 20-year-old, who continues to impress in his first Formula E season. With strong pace and a growing confidence, his first win may not be far away.
With another race ahead in Jeddah, Barnard has one more shot to turn his near-miss into a victory.