Taylor Barnard charges from P12 to P5 in London E-Prix Race 1
Barnard turns difficult qualifying into a P5 finish
Taylor Barnard delivered one of DS Penske’s strongest results of the season in the opening race of the London E-Prix weekend, recovering from 12th on the grid to finish fifth.
The British driver’s qualifying session had not gone to plan, but he immediately set about repairing the damage in Saturday’s race. Barnard fought his way through the field, while incidents ahead created further opportunities to gain positions. By the chequered flag, he had converted a compromised starting position into a valuable points finish.
The result also arrived during a significant weekend for DS Penske, which has unveiled a special livery for its final race. Against that backdrop, Barnard’s performance offered another positive moment for a team that has endured its share of bad luck while also producing strong displays.
Speaking to Motorsport Week in the media pen, Barnard described the race as a welcome change in fortunes. “Quite a good one for once. We’ve been on the right side of things for once this year,” he said.
He added that the team had managed some of its Pitboost stops during a full-course yellow, helping the strategy. “So it’s nice to score some points. Not for free, but in a nice way for once. Yeah, P12 to P5 is not too bad.”
For more on DS Penske’s final Formula E weekend, read our report on the team’s special gold livery.
A calculated approach to the late-race battles
As the race reached its closing stages, the field became increasingly aggressive, with several drivers committing to late attacks. Barnard, however, recognised that overtaking was not his strongest option and chose patience instead.
“To be honest, I kind of just sat back and waited for them to crash, that’s kind of my plan,” Barnard explained. “I wasn’t quick enough to overtake them, especially on traction, we were struggling a bit. So my plan was just to sit and wait for a crash, and I got two places for free, so again, can’t complain.”
The fifth-place result may be difficult to repeat, but Barnard believes the team can qualify better on Sunday. With no Pitboost in Race 2, starting position will carry greater importance, while the circuit’s nature could still create opportunities during the race.
“Another P5 will be difficult. We can definitely qualify a bit better than we did today. There’s a little bit more pace in there somewhere, but another points finish has to be the target,” he said.
Barnard’s priority is therefore clear: maximise qualifying first, then assess what the race offers. “If we have a good qualifying, then it might benefit me. If not, then it might be a bit more difficult, but let’s see. Let’s do our job in qualifying first and then see how it goes.”
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.