From dust to data: NEOM McLaren's Bird and James eye strong finish after tough Jakarta test

Arab News

2 days ago

Riyadh: Coming off a demanding weekend at the Jakarta E-Prix, NEOM McLaren Formula E driver Sam Bird and managing director and team principal Ian James joined a media roundtable on June 24 to discuss their takeaways from the race and the team's trajectory heading into the final stretch of the season.
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Bird pointed to the circuit conditions in Jakarta as the toughest challenge of the weekend. He said that while dust was expected at the venue, the addition of rain made the surface even more unpredictable. 'We saw a dusty circuit almost get even dustier and even more difficult,' he said.
The only grip available was on the narrow racing line, and deviating from it often meant a ruined lap or a potential crash. 'There was pretty much only the racing line that cleaned up, and then if you put one wheel off the racing line, the lap was finished or you were in the wall,' Bird said. That made overtaking extremely limited, and strategy around attack mode became even more critical.
A technical issue with attack mode activation during the race also stood out as a key learning moment for Bird. Despite following standard procedures — pressing the activation button and passing over the loops — his boost failed to activate.
'We put that down to a regulation I didn't know about with regards to the amount of time that I needed to press the button for,' he said.
In response, the team is now conducting an internal study of his button press durations over the past year to ensure consistency and compliance in future.
Despite some setbacks this season, Bird emphasized the importance of staying focused and united as a team. 'If we can all operate at 100 percent — that's engineers, mechanics, myself, Taylor (Barnard) — then we know that we can score some big points,' he said. Acknowledging a few missed opportunities, Bird noted that the remaining four races are an opportunity to convert potential into performance.
For James, the most rewarding part of his role has been leading a group of highly skilled and motivated individuals. He described the NEOM McLaren Formula E team as 'a group of men and women who are brilliant at what they do,' crediting their dedication and collaboration as key drivers of success. 'In bringing all of those ingredients, all those team members together, you then really unlock the performance potential of the team,' he added.
Beyond the racing, James highlighted the progress the team has made in brand development and fan engagement. He confirmed that internal benchmarks in these areas have been met, reflecting Formula E's growing global appeal.
In particular, he pointed to Saudi Arabia as a case study for that growth. He recalled the early days of Formula E in Diriyah in 2018 when the sport was still unfamiliar to many in the Kingdom. 'Every year that we've gone back, that interest has grown and grown,' he said, noting that the recent move to Jeddah has introduced the championship to new audiences and strengthened its presence in the region.
With the team fourth in the standings with four races to go, James admitted that more work is needed to meet their goal of a top-three finish. Still, both he and Bird expressed confidence that the team has the talent, structure, and momentum to close the season on a high.