Bird prepares – reluctantly – for a possible FE farewell

The Formula E season finale marks the final race weekend for McLaren in the category, but for veteran driver Sam Bird, it may well be his last weekend in the series, too.

Bird has been in Formula E since day one, and has won 12 races in that time for Virgin Racing and its successors DS Virgin and Envision, as well as Jaguar and McLaren. But as the papaya team gets ready to bid farewell, Bird’s future is unclear.

“I'm not going to lie, it might be,” he told RACER of whether this weekend could be his Formula E swansong. “If I'm being brutally honest – the readers will probably know this as well – there is a strong possibility that, unfortunately, this could be the last time I strapped myself into a Formula E car.

“I really don't want [it] to be the case, I'd be gutted if it is the case, but that's just the reality of the situation.

“With one less team, a couple of drivers will have to miss out, and that may be the case for me. But I will continue to push and out of disappointment, something may happen or may happen in a different series. We will have to wait and see.”

For the last two years Bird has been part of a McLaren team that has been on a continued improvement streak to the point where this year the team has been in podium contention at almost every race, and has helped Nissan – of which it is a customer – to be in with a shout of its maiden manufacturers’ crown.

“It’s been incredible fun,” Bird said. “Working with some incredibly talented people, and also some really lovely individuals as well. We have been able to improve the team as a group, we've been able to improve our car. At times the results have been disappointing from my side; that's life in Formula E, unfortunately. But on the whole, I've met some incredible people and made some great friends. I think it's Formula E’s loss that this team is no longer going to be on the grid.”

McLaren’s departure came after the team was left with too little time for a takeover to be completed. But despite the somber feeling of this final weekend, Bird insists the team will go out fighting.

“I know that Ian [James, team principal] absolutely worked so hard to make sure that we were on the grid next year,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it wasn't enough time. Everybody was initially disappointed and sad, but I think then everybody [was] fueled by it and we all want to now end the season on a real high, go out with a great show here, and try and get in the top three in the teams’ and drivers’ championship with Taylor [Barnard].”

Bird gave McLaren its first Formula E win in Brazil last year. Sam Bagnall/Getty Images

Looking back on his time with McLaren, the standout moment was Bird’s win in Sao Paulo last season. It was his 12th, which puts him joint-fourth on the all-time list at present, but McLaren’s first. While the brand’s Formula E team will soon be consigned to history, that achievement will remain etched in the wider McLaren organization’s folklore for all time.

“Imagine if I could walk away from these two with two great results,” he mused on the possibility of adding further victories this weekend.

“I think Brazil will always still be my highlight. Even if I was to win here at home in our final weekend, I think Brazil being the first one for the team – my 12th one in Formula E, but the first one for this team – was incredibly special. A day that I think will live long in my memory, that's for sure.”

It was one of just many historic moments Bird has enjoyed in a lengthy career so far.

“I was the first British driver for 60 years to win an endurance race for Ferrari,” he said. “I was the first winner for Virgin, first winner for DS, first winner for NEOM McLaren – I've been able to do some firsts in my career, so that's really fun. But to get the first one from McLaren, yeah, which was awesome.”

But while farewells are the hot topic at the moment, Bird isn’t totally closing the door on a future with McLaren in some form. The brand will be entering the World Endurance Championship in 2027 – a series where Bird has prior experience from his stint with AF Corse and Ferrari from 2014-2021 – and there has been paddock speculation that he could find himself there. McLaren hasn’t said anything on that topic, but Bird seemingly left the door open to the prospect.

“It's not over yet, so maybe there's some other possibilities to work within this group,” he said. “But to work for a team that I lived so close to as a kid... I grew up in West Byfleet, down the road from Woking. It’s been really magical to work [here], especially in a period where they've been so impressive in other series and as a group. They seem to have grown from strength to strength. It makes me very proud to know that I've been able to wear this logo on my shirt for the last two years.”

As for Formula E, Bird doesn’t want that journey to end either, and he still believes there’s a lot he can bring to the table.

“I bring expertise to a team, and when I look at it, regardless of stats and wins and podiums, I think that everything that I've been to, I've improved,” Bird said.

“I got them to improve before I left, which I think has been a strong point.

“Regardless of my results, the team has taken a step. So looking to build into GEN4, I think that's been one of my strongest points in Formula E. So just being able to help the team improve the car truth of the way we operate, that's been a strong point of mine.”