Barnard was runner-up in the final season of ADAC Formula 4 and a race winner in FIA Formula 3 for Jenzer Motorsport. He graduated to FIA Formula 2 in the 2024 season with AIX Racing and at the same time, he was signed as the McLaren Formula E Team's reserve and development driver. Barnard made his Formula E debut with McLaren at the 2024 Monaco ePrix and was later promoted as a full time driver for the team. As a Formula E driver, he currently hold a few records – he is the youngest driver to start a race, the youngest points scorer, and the youngest podium finisher.
Born in Norwich, Barnard began karting in 2012 at the Trent Valley Kart Club. From there, he branched out to the Super 1 National Championship, where he would remain until his title victory in 2017. Added to that, Barnard won the Kartmasters British Grand Prix on two occasions, as well as winning the LGM Series in the IAME Cadet category.[2]
The Briton moved onto the European stage in 2018, racing in the OK Junior class for KR Motorsport, for whom he would win the WSK Final Cup at season's end.[3] Having become a karting protégé of Nico Rosberg and joined the Formula One World Champion's Racing Academy, Barnard progressed into the OK Senior category the following year.[4] He would win the WSK Champions Cup at the start of the campaign,[5][6] whilst coming fourth in the European Championship. That year, Barnard also finished second in the Karting World Championship, missing out narrowly to Lorenzo Travisanutto in wet conditions.[7] Barnard remained with Rosberg Racing Academy for his final karting season in 2020, where he once again ended up as the runner-up of the World Championship, this time losing out against Callum Bradshaw.[8] That year brought more trophies however, with Barnard taking another WSK Champions Cup crown, as well as winning the WSK Open Cup.[9][10]
Lower formulae
2020
Barnard made his car racing debut in 2020, competing in three rounds of the Italian F4 Championship for AKM Motorsport.[11][12] With two points coming from the weekend at Monza, Barnard ended up 26th in the standings.
For 2021, Barnard partnered up with BWR Motorsports, a team affiliated with his mentor Nico Rosberg, to compete in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship.[13] However, following just three rounds, in which Barnard took a best result of fourth, the team was forced to miss two events, only returning for the season finale. Because of this, the Briton finished 17th in the championship, taking 17 points.[14]
Nevertheless, Barnard remained in Formula 4 the following year, driving for newly-formed team PHM Racing alongside Nikita Bedrin and Jonas Ried.[15] He began the year by competing in the F4 UAE Championship in January, taking his and his team's first win in car racing at the Yas Marina Circuit.[16][17] The rest of the campaign was plagued by reliability issues relating to the car, as Barnard ended up ninth overall.[18]
Barnard's main campaign would lie in the Italian F4 and ADAC Formula 4 series, which he would once again contest with PHM.[19][20] In the former, Barnard took one podium at Vallelunga Circuit and finished eighth in the standings, whilst in the latter, his campaign would be more successful.[21] Having started out with two sixth places and a collision with teammate Ried at Spa-Francorchamps, the Briton experienced a more positive weekend in Hockenheim, taking a pair of podiums.[22] Following more points finishes at Circuit Zandvoort, the event at the Nürburgring became a turning point for Barnard. After taking his first victory of the season in Race 1, owing to a five-second penalty to leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli for a jump start, Barnard fended off his Italian rival in Race 2, scoring another win.[23][24] With championship leader Antonelli absent at the penultimate round at the Lausitzring, Barnard would capitalise, winning two races and finishing second in Race 1, in a weekend characterised by a number of battles with his teammate Bedrin.[25][26] Despite this, Barnard would be unable to take the title, although another pair of podiums at the season finale, including a victory in the final race, meant that the Briton became the championship runner-up.[27][28]
Formula Regional
2023
During the opening months of 2023, Barnard competed in the inaugural Formula Regional Middle East Championship with PHM Racing.[29] After taking two podium places in the opening round at Dubai Autodrome, he took his first race victory in the second round at Kuwait Motor Town.[30] He originally finished the race in second position, but was promoted to the win after race winner Joshua Dufek was disqualified due to a technical infringement.[31] A second win followed at the next round, also held in Kuwait, before he took three podium places in the penultimate round in Dubai.[32][33]
Barnard went into the final round at Yas Marina Circuit with a chance of the championship title, but two disappointing finishes outside of the points in the first two races meant he ultimately finished as runner-up in the championship to Andrea Kimi Antonelli.[34]
2024
Barnard competed in the championship again in the 2024 season with PHM AIX Racing,[35][36] where he once again finished as the runner up. He finished the season with 176 points, which was 79 points behind champion Tuukka Taponen. Throughout the season, Barnard secured four pole positions and five race wins. During the first race of the season at the Yas Marina Circuit, Barnard took the season's first victory after starting from pole position.[37] His second victory was inherited the next day during Race 3 after original race winner Martinius Stenshorne received a penalty.[38] However, his titles hopes were hampered during the second round in the second Yas Marina round where he managed only one podium while Taponen won twice.[39] Barnard's third win came following a pole position start and a close race with Taponen during the opening race of Round 3 at the Dubai Autodrome.[40] During Round 4, Barnard managed to claim his fourth win after yet another narrow victory over Taponen.[41] During the penultimate race in Round 5, Barnard secured his fifth win of the season and seventh overall win in the series.[42]
In the autumn of 2022, Barnard, along with his Formula 4 teammate Nikita Bedrin and Euroformula Open driver Alex García, took part in the 2022 FIA Formula 3 post-season test for Jenzer Motorsport.[43] In January 2023, Barnard was announced as the final driver for Jenzer Motorsport to complete its lineup for the 2023 season, alongside Bedrin and García.[44] He was pointless during the Bahrain season opener,[45] but he would score scored his first points in the Melbourne feature race where he finished ninth, marking a run of five consecutive points-scoring positions.[46] He made the top 12 in Monaco for the first time with ninth,[47] and scored points in both races with fifth and eighth place.[48] He then impressed in Barcelona round by qualifying on the front row.[49] After finishing ninth in the sprint, Barnard maintained his position in the earlier stages of the race but ultimately was unable to cope with the faster cars and he slipped to ninth.[50]
In the Silverstone sprint race, Barnard moved up to second at the start and was in contention for the win but he tagged Sebastián Montoya into a spin, causing Barnard to lose places and he eventually finished in 30th place.[51] Qualifying tenth for the Spa-Francorchamps round, Barnard took his first podium in the series as he finished in second place.[52] The following day, he proceeded to take his maiden Formula 3 victory in the feature race following a right call on strategy, as he held off Christian Mansell in a race that took place in mixed conditions.[53][54] The final round in Monza saw another impressive showing from Barnard, as he placed fourth and third in the races, taking another podium in the latter amidst multiple battles.[55] His late run of form allowed Barnard to finish tenth in the championship standings, taking 72 points and three podiums throughout the season.[56][57]
In February 2024, it was announced that Barnard would graduate to the 2024 season of the FIA Formula 2 Championship with PHM AIX Racing partnering Joshua Dürksen.[59] He qualified ninth in the Bahrain opener and started second for the sprint, but dropped down the order rapidly at the start, before retiring due to brake issues.[60] He only scored his first points finish of the series with seventh place during round 4 in Imola, following a multi-car pileup on the opening lap.[61] Unfortunately, he was later disqualified over an alleged failure to engage the start set-up procedure on the formation lap.[62] Nevertheless, Barnard redeemed himself in Monaco by proceeding to take his maiden victory in the sprint race after qualifying on reverse pole.[63][64] Barnard secured his best qualifying of the year with sixth in Austria,[65] and scored his feature race points with eighth place.[66] Barnard then scored double points in Budapest, with seventh and ninth place in the sprint and feature races respectively, despite qualifying in 17th.[67]
During the summer break, Barnard signed to compete for McLaren in the 2024–25 season of Formula E and subsequently ended his Formula 2 campaign prior to the Monza round.[68] At the end of the season, Barnard placed 21st in the overall standings with 18 points.[69]
Formula E
McLaren (2024–)
2023–24 season
In October 2023, Barnard took part in pre-season testing for the 2023–24 season of Formula E with McLaren Formula E Team as part of a mandatory rookie test.[70] He took part in the opening session of the test and finished in 7th place, just under half a second from the fastest time set by Mitch Evans. He also finished the session as the fastest rookie driver.[71] In January 2024, Barnard was signed as McLaren's reserve and development driver for the season.[72]
Barnard made his Formula E debut at the Monaco ePrix with McLaren from FP2 onwards to deputise Sam Bird who suffered a hand injury from a crash in FP1.[73] He qualified in 22nd and finished his debut race in 14th while becoming the youngest driver to start a Formula E race at 19 years and 331 days.[74][75][76] Barnard continued to deputise for Bird at the Berlin ePrix,[77] where he finished Race 1 in tenth to score his first Formula E points while becoming the youngest Formula E points scorer.[78][79] He ended the double-header weekend by finishing Race 2 in eighth.[80][81]
2024–25 season
After the departure of Jake Hughes at the end of the 2023–24 season, Barnard was promoted as a full time driver and will partner Sam Bird for the 2024–25 season.[82]
Barnard qualified seventeenth at the opening São Paulo ePrix, but climbed to third during the race.[83] In doing so, Barnard became the youngest podium finisher in the series' history at the age of 20 years and 189 days.[84][85]
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