Sam Bird is one of the most respected and experienced drivers in the Formula E field. A household name in Formula E, Sam Bird has been in it from the start. He has driven for Envision Virgin right from the beginning and the partnership seems to get stronger with each passing season.
As we look ahead to next week’s race in Santiago, we delved deep to find out more about the man who clinched victory in the 2019 Santiago E-Prix.
Journey into Formula E
Sam Bird started his motorsport career in 2002 aged just 15 years old racing karts. Following a successful couple of years on the karting scene, Bird earned a scholarship to race for Carlin Motorsport in the first season of Formula BMW. From there, he moved on to Formula Renault and Formula 3 before being named a Reserve Driver for Mercedes F1 in 2011 at the young driver test in Abu Dhabi. He remained associated with the team during 2012 and 2013 before joining the inaugural Formula E season in 2014.
Bird has previously spoken about how joining Formula E was like “thrusting [himself] into the unknown…because [he] didn’t know whether Formula E was going to succeed.” Since taking the plunge, he has never looked back and seems to be enjoying life as a Formula E driver.
Formula E career
Sam Bird has notched up a number of ‘firsts’ during his Formula E career to date. He’s the first driver to win his home E-Prix and the first to win a race every year after his victory in round one of the 2019/20 season.
A record he would probably rather not hold, however, is for the most wins without winning a championship. Despite coming close in past seasons, Bird has never been able to finish a season on top. Maybe 2019/20 will finally be Sam Bird’s year.
| Formula E race win percentage | 15% (compared to 5% for teammate Robin Frijns) |
| Formula E podium percentage | 30% (compared to 13% for teammate Robin Frijns) |
| First Formula E win | 2014 Putrajaya E-Prix |
| Highest championship finish | 3rd in the 2017/18 season |
Life for Sam Bird outside of Formula E
Sam Bird is a keen football fan and plays “at a decent level” (his own words). He has previously admitted that he would have tried to become a professional footballer had he not made it as a racing driver.
In terms of his private life, Bird married yoga fanatic Hollie Harrington Bird in August 2018 at an idyllic setting in Lake Como.
