Image: Sam Bagnall courtesy of Formula E
NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird has spoken to The Englishman is new to McLaren, having joined the team from Jaguar TCS Racing for Season 10. A third-place finisher and Fastest Lap scorer last year, Bird is very much aware of the challenges ahead at the Anhembi Sambadrome.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Bird.
“The track temperature is going to be extremely high, probably the highest we’ll see it all weekend, but it’s decent for the race tomorrow.
“The track will be very dusty, especially around turns seven, eight, nine and ten but hopefully that’ll clean-up and this track is always good fun so I’m excited to get out there.”
The high temperatures in general can always provide an additional challenge for drivers, but Bird feels confident of his own pre-race preparations for the race.
“I feel like I’m pretty prepared for high temperature races.
“I sometimes do some heat training – I have a little gym at home and I’ve put an industrial heater in there, crank it up to 28 or 29 degrees, get on the exercise bike and off I go for an hour and get a big sweat on.
“I do enjoy that, which is a bit sadistic, so I’ll be fine!”
The Championship is returning after six week break after the cancellation of the Hyderabad E-Prix, and like all the other drivers “I’ve been training, had a holiday in Dubai and played a lot of golf! I did a lot of walking with my dogs; spent quite a bit of time with family and friends; we did some simulator work as well, and I went up to Bicester to see the guys from the team, so bits and bobs!”
It’s been an encouraging start for McLaren so far, with Bird finishing fourth in the first of the Diriyah double-header, and team-mate Jake Hughes finishing a strong seventh in Mexico as well as fourth in the second Diriyah race. Is Bird confident of more competitive results in 2024?
“Of course – it’s my aim and goal every weekend but it’s very challenging and difficult to do that on a regular basis in this Championship.
“I’d love to bring home McLaren’s first podium of course and we are moving in the right direction.
“Regardless of what happens this weekend, I feel very strongly that we are making progress and that gives me a lot of hope that it’s not a case of if, but when we get our first podium as a team, whether it’s me or Jake, it doesn’t matter, but it’ll be great to get that across the line.”
Nick Cassidy, title-leader and the man who replaced Bird at Jaguar, praised Bird’s and McLaren’s pace in Diriyah, and Bird was pleased to hear the Kiwi’s words, which referred to the team as “super-strong”.
“It’s very nice to get a compliment from Nick, as he’s doing such an amazing job at the moment.
“McLaren and everybody in the team deserves a bit of praise – we’ve made some inroads into Jaguar and Porsche and where they’re currently at.
“We’ve still got some work to be done to help bridge the gap, but these things don’t happen overnight.
“We’re in this for the long haul and we’re making slow and steady progress, so this is great.”
McLaren’s bright start will naturally raise expectations of more good results across the season, but Bird is realistic yet hopeful of what is to come.
“There are certainly tracks that suit us more than others – I think you’d be silly not to say Porsche, Andretti, Envision and Jaguar will be more than likely the top four teams, but if we can push one of them or finish close to some of them, I think we have had a very decent year.
“We came eighth in the Teams’ Championship last year, so if we got sixth this year, it’s a steady progress with the same car.”
Formula E has announced a fresh Manufacturers’ Trophy, with McLaren partnering with Nissan in this new competition within the season. However, will Bird and his fellow drivers prioritize this during the race weekends?
To be honest, as drivers, our focus is not on the Manufacturers’ Trophy – I’m here to race for McLaren. While it’s a positive development for the manufacturers, it is not our main concern. If Jake and I perform at our best and Nissan does the same, we can be proud of our efforts for the Manufacturer Trophy. However, it is clear that this year’s competition will be between Jaguar and Porsche.
Nevertheless, if we have a successful winter with the GEN3.5, who knows what the future holds?
Following GEN3.5, the GEN4 era of Formula E will begin, and Bird is enthusiastic about the early plans for the car and the prospect of longer races.
Increasing the race duration is crucial. Currently, some races are quite short due to the track layouts. If we can extend the races by 10, 15, or 20 minutes, it will greatly enhance the spectacle. Moreover, the cars will be faster, and the introduction of different tires will add excitement. Therefore, myself and all the drivers are eagerly anticipating GEN4. While GEN3.5 is a small step, GEN4 will be a significant leap forward.
McLaren’s strong start raises expectations for good results throughout the season. Bird, though realistic, remains hopeful about what lies ahead.
Certain tracks are more suited to our strengths, but it would be foolish not to acknowledge that Porsche, Andretti, Envision, and Jaguar are likely to be the top four teams. However, if we can challenge or finish close to them, it would be a commendable year for us. Last season, we finished eighth in the Teams’ Championship, so achieving sixth place this year would represent steady progress with the same car.