Taylor Barnard’s making waves in the Formula E scene, and it’s not hard to see why. He’s already achieved the most podiums for a rookie in Formula E history, and now he’s become the youngest poleman in the category’s history. That’s quite a feat, especially considering this is his premiere season. The young McLaren pilot really nailed his final duel against Oliver Rowland, who was the favorite to win. Interestingly, Rowland is actually Barnard’s teacher – he has a karting school that Barnard attends.
Rowland, the Nissan driver, managed to escape the pole for the second consecutive race, but he didn’t exactly have it easy. He had a close call when he attacked a chicane too aggressively and ended up skidding just millimeters away from the wall. He was lucky to avoid a more serious impact, but it was clear that he wouldn’t be able to fight for the top spot after that. In the end, he was 0.4 seconds behind Barnard, who achieved an impressive time of 1:14.804 – even faster than his time the previous day.
A mixed day for some drivers
Stoffel Vandoorne, the former Formula 1 driver, had a good qualifying session and will start third with his Maserati. He’s definitely one of the contenders for the win, and he’ll be joined on the grid by his teammate Jake Hughes. On the other hand, Max Günther, who won yesterday’s race with DS Penske, will start seventh. He’ll need to rely on strategy and play it smart if he wants to get back on top.
The Spanish team, Kiro Cupra, will be starting tenth and twelfth with Ticktum and Beckmann, respectively. They’ll be looking to get into the points, but it won’t be an easy task. As for the race itself, it’s going to be a bit different from yesterday’s. There won’t be a pit boost, so drivers will have to focus on using their attack mode wisely. The key will be to save energy and attack at the right moment – something Günther did perfectly yesterday.
An unpredictable weekend
As the drivers themselves said in a press conference, today’s race is going to be totally different from yesterday’s. It’s going to be chaotic, and anything can happen. The yellow flags and potential chaos on the track could play a big role in the outcome. Touches and troubles between walls are always a risk, and drivers will need to be careful to avoid them. Da Costa, for example, had to endure half of yesterday’s race with a damaged rear wing, while his teammate had to enter the pit and do the whole race alone.
The decisive appointment will start at 18:00 Spanish peninsular time, and you can catch it on Eurosport. It’s going to be a long and fast race, and it’s essential for drivers to avoid any issues if they want to come out on top.
Jeddah E-Prix output grid (2)
Formula E 2025
- Taylor Barnard (McLaren)
- Oliver Rowland (Nissan)
- Stoffel Vandoorne (Maserati)
- Jake Hughes (Maserati)
- Antonio Félix da Costa (Porsche)
- Edo mortar (Mahindra)
- Max Günther (Ds penske)
- Sam Bird (McLaren)
- Nick of Vries (Mahindra)
- Give ticktum (Cupra Kiro)