Sam Bird believes “what goes around comes around” after supporting McLaren team-mate Taylor Barnard’s quest for a maiden Formula E podium in Sao Paulo.
McLaren left the Brazil season-opener earlier this month with a double points finish as Barnard became the youngest podium finisher in the all-electric championship’s history in third, one spot above Bird.
The British duo had considerably more energy than eventual race winner Mitch Evans and runner-up Antonio Felix da Costa, having run at a slower pace after Barnard and Bird suffered early drive-through penalties for overpower usage.
Helped by two red flags to cycle towards the front in a chaotic race, Barnard’s progress was halted in a five-lap dash to the flag because he “was limited by temperature and by tyre grip”.
The 20-year-old, who made only three appearances last season in place of the injured Bird, thanked his team-mate for not challenging him in the final stages as Bird claimed “there might be a time when he has to look after me”.
“It’s Taylor’s first time running that high up, I think he wanted to get a podium. He’s fighting against Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix da Costa, two of the best ever,” Bird told Autosport.
“I think he probably did the sensible thing. A third and a fourth from where we were, I didn’t want to put him under any unnecessary pressure because that’s great points for the team so there was no need for me to be right up his gearbox.
“I could have done, but there was no need so I’m happy to come away fourth and what goes around comes around. There might be a time when he has to look after me.”
The double points finish put McLaren at the top of the teams’ championship at a venue where Bird has enjoyed considerable success in the past.
On the two previous visits to the Sao Paulo street circuit, Bird finished runner-up in the first before taking McLaren’s maiden, and so far only, Formula E win last season after a final lap pass on leader Evans.
During the second red flag in this month’s race, Bird told his team over the radio that he would not challenge Barnard in order to give his team-mate the best chance of challenging for the win, even at his own expense.
“That was me saying to the team, I’ll look after him because he’s got more energy and he can push for the win,” added Bird.
“My thinking was he would push for the win then they’d come towards me and we could maybe get a 1-2 because I had 2% more than Mitch and Antonio, he [Barnard] had 2% more than me.
“So I was thinking we’ve got a chance of coming first and second here, if he gets after it I could get P2 or P3 but I think in the end he did the right thing.”
