Antonelli attention has pushed rivals out of F1 spotlight

The remarkable rise of future Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has made it more difficult for his F2 rivals to attract attention this season.

That is a claim made by new McLaren Formula E driver Taylor Barnard. The 20-year-old is the first youngster McLaren has taken a chance on in FE, a strategy which has worked well for the Woking-based team in Formula 1. 

Barnard competed in F2 this year until the round at Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the summer break, with McLaren signing him shortly after. He raced for AIX Racing and struggled for results but did claim a brilliant sprint victory in Monaco. 

Like Mercedes' new F1 driver Antonelli, Barnard is a talent. The British driver finished runner-up to the Italian in the 2020 European Karting Championship whilst racing for Nico Rosberg's Academy outfit. 

Since moving into single-seaters the same year, Barnard has claimed a race win in all but one championship in which he has competed. Unlike most, he has done it all on a small budget, making it difficult to attain a seat in a leading team.

Added to this was the challenge of wrestling to be in the spotlight with the other drivers aspiring for the top, which he felt was more pronounced this year given the Antonelli hype.

When asked if so much media attention on Antonelli made it harder to be noticed, Barnard exclusively told RacingNews365: "100%. 

"I feel like from the beginning on, it's not 100% on budget, it's a little bit about who you know and who you are as well. 

"I feel like I've definitely struggled with that side of it for most of my career, especially in F2 this year, I think it was quite obvious. 

"It was a big struggle, besides Monaco, which was great. But yeah, I'm thankful to come out of the junior ladder in a good position, and I'm looking forward to the future."

'Close-minded' F2 drivers

On his last-minute FE debut in Monaco last season, after Sam Bird was ruled out through injury, Barnard made an instant impact. It is rare for a driver to immediately understand the unique style of racing, let alone embrace it. 

In Berlin, where he again replaced Bird, he went a step further and became the youngest point scorer in the all-electric championship's history.

Pertinently regarding Berlin, several of Barnard's F2 rivals were either racing or testing FE machinery that weekend. 

Due to a clash between FE and WEC, multiple drivers were unable to race. F2 championship contender Paul Aron made his debut and was quick, but failed to score a point. 

In the Berlin rookie test, a further five F2 drivers were in action, highlighting the growing interest in FE amongst young drivers trying to escape the junior ladder. 

Some, though, remain focused purely on a dream move to F1. 

There are some in the junior category who Barnard feels are short-sighted in targeting one professional series, and that a driver's goal depends on more than just a dream.

"I feel like some people are too close-minded on what championship they want to drive in, but also it depends on what kind of situation they're in and things like that," explained Barnard. 

"So obviously, for me, it was a bit different. I think Formula E is a good path for me to try to get out of F2 and into a professional career. 

"Perhaps for some other people, that's not what they want. I think it depends also on what teams you were driving with, what contacts you have to perhaps F1 or another championship. 

"But for me, this made the most sense, and I feel comfortable with this team. And honestly, the experience that I had was great. So to be able to drive in Formula E, I'm very happy."