Taylor Barnard is making a fascinating new move, stepping over to Formula E newcomers Fortescue Zero Racing following his departure from the DS Penske operation at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season. It is a bold fresh start for the young Brit from Norwich, who made his championship debut as a stand-in for Sam Bird at the 2024 Monaco E-Prix when he was just 19 years old. Since that initial appearance, the statistics he has piled up in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship are simply wild: youngest driver to start a race, youngest pole sitter, youngest podium finisher, and most recently, youngest race winner.
Now, he takes those incredible credentials into a brand-new garage with Fortescue Zero Racing. While they are fresh faces on the grid as a competing team, the Australian outfit carries serious pedigree. Their roots trace back to Williams Advanced Engineering, growing into an in-demand high-performance engineering enterprise at the cutting edge of electrification, even serving as the Official PIT BOOST supplier of Formula E.
That arrival on the grid aligns perfectly with the arrival of the GEN4 era, and let me tell you, this new machine is an absolute beast. We are looking at a car capable of rocketing past 335kph, hitting 0-100kph in roughly 1.8 seconds, and clearing 0-200kph in a staggering 4.4 seconds, which makes it 1.5 seconds faster than the car it replaces. In race mode, GEN4 packs 50% more power than the current GEN3 Evo, while qualifying pace will average an astonishing 10 seconds faster per lap than the GEN3 generation. When drivers engage ATTACK MODE, the power output climbs to 600kW—a massive 71% increase over base GEN3 Evo output—all delivered through the unique advantage of permanent all-wheel drive in a single-seater.
Barnard is clearly ready for the heavy lift ahead. “I’m incredibly excited to join Fortescue Zero Racing and be part of building something from the ground up,” Barnard said. “This is a new team with a huge amount of ambition, and I want to help turn that ambition into results on the track.”
He also pointed to the squad's technical background as a major draw. “Fortescue Zero has a strong history of developing high-performance electric technology, and I’m looking forward to working with the team and helping push that technology further and faster than ever before. We know there is a lot of hard work ahead, but that is exactly what makes this opportunity so exciting. I can’t wait to get started.”
Fortescue Zero Racing has promised to confirm the rest of their driver line-up in due course, but locking in a proven talent like Barnard right out of the gate is a serious statement of intent.
