20-year-old becomes youngest polesitter in series history, outduels Oliver Rowland in tense showdown
The future is now in Formula E, and its name is Taylor Barnard. The NEOM McLaren sensation made history by becoming the youngest polesitter ever at just 20 years and 259 days, delivering a flawless performance in the Jeddah E-Prix qualifying session.
Barnard put in three fastest laps of the entire Duels, defeating Oliver Rowland in the final with a time 0.363 seconds quicker than his more experienced rival.
How the Battle for Pole Unfolded
Rowland initially held the edge in the Duels final, but a mistake in the Turn 8-9-10-11 “bus stop” complex opened the door for Barnard. The young Brit clawed back two-tenths in that sector alone before surging ahead to claim a monumental pole position.
His path to pole was equally impressive:
🔹 Defeated Antonio Felix da Costa in the opening Duel by 0.227s
🔹 Took down McLaren predecessor Jake Hughes in the semis by a commanding 0.431s
🔹 Clinched pole by outpacing Rowland by 0.363s
Meanwhile, Rowland had his own fight to the final:
🔹 Beat Friday’s polesitter and race winner Maximilian Günther by 0.280s
🔹 Edged out Stoffel Vandoorne in a tightly fought semifinal
Shock Exits in Group Qualifying
Barnard’s dominance was underscored by a chaotic group stage that saw several high-profile exits:
❌ Pascal Wehrlein, the reigning champion, was eliminated after Dan Ticktum and David Beckmann went quicker in the final seconds.
❌ Jaguar’s factory and customer teams (Envision Racing) all failed to advance—Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy, Robin Frijns, and Sebastien Buemi missing the Duels entirely.
❌ Nyck de Vries’ late push wasn’t enough, leaving him outside the top 10.
❌ Jake Dennis, last season’s champion, failed to move on from Group A.
❌ Nico Mueller, who caused Friday’s collision, will start last after a three-place grid penalty.
Starting Grid for Jeddah Race 2
🥇 Taylor Barnard (McLaren)
🥈 Oliver Rowland (Nissan)
🥉 Stoffel Vandoorne (Maserati)* (under investigation for technical infringement)
4️⃣ Jake Hughes (Maserati)
5️⃣ Antonio Felix da Costa (Porsche)
6️⃣ Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra)
7️⃣ Maximilian Günther (DS Penske)
8️⃣ Sam Bird (Nissan)
9️⃣ Nyck de Vries (Mahindra)
🔟 Dan Ticktum (Cupra)
Can Barnard Convert Pole into Victory?
With Maserati locking out the second row and da Costa lurking in fifth, the race promises a fierce battle for victory. The second round of the Jeddah E-Prix begins at 12:05 PM ET on Saturday—and all eyes will be on Formula E’s youngest-ever polesitter to see if he can turn history into glory.