The 2025/26 Formula E season ended in London with two records being written simultaneously. Pascal Wehrlein sealed the Drivers’ Championship, but it was Taylor Barnard who provided the afternoon’s most striking subplot — a late, decisive move that completed a full set of youth records in the series.
The Last Record on the List
Barnard had already claimed the titles of youngest driver to start a Formula E race, youngest pole sitter, and youngest podium finisher. Heading into the season finale, the only milestone missing was a race win — and he delivered it in characteristically composed fashion.
The British driver qualified sixth for the London E-Prix, a solid but unremarkable grid position given the championship drama unfolding around him. What followed in the race was anything but unremarkable.
How the Win Unfolded
Barnard tracked the Mahindra Racing pair of Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara through the bulk of the race, biding his time. His late ATTACK MODE activation proved decisive. He first passed Mortara for second place, then dived up the inside of polesitter de Vries at the final corner with just two laps remaining to take the lead and the win.
De Vries and Mortara both carried a two-minute energy advantage over Barnard in the closing stages, which made the double pass all the more unlikely. Barnard himself admitted he did not expect to pull it off.
“They both had two minutes more energy,” he said. “So, yeah, to be able to get both of them, honestly, is unreal.”
A Record That Stands in the History Books
At 22 years and 76 days old, Barnard takes the youngest winner record from his own DS Penske teammate, Maximilian Günther, who won the 2020 Santiago E-Prix at 22 years and 200 days. That the record stayed within the same team is a neat footnote.
The win arrives after a season Barnard himself described as a long learning process. He joined DS Penske at the start of the campaign following NEOM McLaren’s exit from the championship, and while his raw pace showed in flashes, his points tally across the season did not match the consistency of his rookie year. He finished 11th in the Drivers’ Championship on 68 points.
What It Means Going Forward
A difficult season ending with a race win carries real weight for a young driver’s development. Barnard acknowledged the result matters beyond personal satisfaction — it provides a lift for the entire DS Penske squad after a tough campaign.
“It’s been such a tough season, so everybody deserves it,” he said.
With two full Formula E seasons now behind him and a historic win on his record, Barnard heads into the off-season with considerably more momentum than his championship position suggests. Whether DS Penske can build a more consistent title challenge around him next year is the more interesting question — but for now, the youngest winner in Formula E history has earned his moment.
