Sam Bird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sam Bird |
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Bird at the 2023 Berlin ePrix.
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| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 9 January 1987 Roehampton, Greater London, England |
| Formula E career | |
| Debut season | 2014–15 |
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
| Car no. | 8 |
| Former teams | Envision, Jaguar, McLaren |
| Starts | 141 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 12 |
| Podiums | 27 |
| Poles | 6 |
| Fastest laps | 12 |
| Best finish | 3rd in 2017–18 |
| Finished last season | 18th (31 pts) |
| World Endurance Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2014 |
| Current team | AF Corse |
| Car no. | 71 |
| Former teams | G-Drive Racing |
| Starts | 37 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Poles | 13 |
| Fastest laps | 4 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2015 |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 2014– |
| Teams | AF Corse, G-Drive Racing |
| Best finish | 10 (2015) |
| Class wins | 0 |
| Previous series | |
| 2010–2011, 2013 2012 2009–10–2011 2008–09 2007, 2009 2006 2004–05 |
GP2 Series Formula Renault 3.5 Series GP2 Asia Series Formula 3 Euro Series British Formula 3 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Formula BMW |
| Awards | |
| 2013 2006 |
Pirelli Trophy for Tyre Management Autosport Club Driver/Year |
Sam Jamie Bird is a British professional racing driver. He was born on January 9, 1987. Sam currently competes in Formula E, an electric car racing series. He has achieved many great things in his career. He won the LMP2 title in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship. He also finished second in the 2013 GP2 Series and the LMGTE Pro class in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship. Sam Bird has won 12 races in Formula E. His best season was in 2017–18, where he finished third overall.
Contents
Sam's Early Racing Days
Racing in Formula BMW
Sam Bird started his journey in single-seater racing with Formula BMW. In his first year, he finished 14th overall. He was also second in the rookie cup, which is for new drivers. In 2005, his second season, he was the runner-up in the championship. He also came in fourth place in the Formula BMW world final race.
Racing in Formula Renault
In 2006, Sam joined the British Formula Renault series. He showed his talent by winning four races. He ended up finishing fourth in the championship that year.
Racing in Formula Three
2007 Season
In 2007, Sam Bird raced in the British Formula 3 Championship. He drove for Carlin Motorsport with a Mercedes-powered car. He got sponsorship from BP, a big company. Sam was also chosen for the Motor Sports Association Race Elite Scheme. This program helps talented young drivers. He even helped with aerodynamic tests for the Williams F1 Team.
2008 and 2009 Seasons
Sam moved to Manor Motorsport for the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2008. It was a tough year, and he finished 11th. Most of his points came from two second-place finishes. In 2009, he joined Mücke Motorsport. He earned his first pole position and fastest laps. However, he did not win a race that year and finished eighth in the championship.
Racing in GP2 Series
Sam Bird joined the ART Grand Prix team for a test in the GP2 Asia Series. He then raced for them in the 2009–10 season. He finished seventh overall, with one second-place finish.
2010 Season
In 2010, Sam competed in the 2010 GP2 Series with ART. He was often fast but had bad luck. Technical problems and crashes sometimes stopped him from getting good results. Despite this, he won his first race in the series at Monza. He also set three fastest laps that season.
2011 Season
For 2011, Sam moved to the iSport International team. His GP2 Asia season started with three retirements. But he had a strong start in the main series. He was second in the championship at one point. He eventually finished sixth overall.
2013 Season
In 2013, Sam Bird raced for the new Russian Time team. He had a very successful year, winning five races. He fought for the championship until the very last weekend. Sam finished second in the championship. His strong performance helped Russian Time win the constructors' championship.
Racing in Formula Renault 3.5
Between his GP2 seasons, Sam raced in the 2012 Formula Renault 3.5 season. He won two races and earned five more podium finishes. He was in a close battle for the title until the final race. He ended up finishing third in the championship, just 10 points behind the winner.
Formula One Experience
On November 16, 2010, Sam Bird took part in a young drivers' test. He drove for the Mercedes GP team at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. This was a great chance for him to experience a Formula One car.
Sam's Formula E Career
DS/Envision Virgin Racing (2014–2020)
2014–15 Season
Sam Bird started driving in Formula E in the 2014–15 Formula E season. He joined Richard Branson's Virgin Racing team. He finished third in the first race in Beijing. He then won the second race in Putrajaya. He had some tough races too, with crashes and retirements. But he bounced back and scored points in other races. In the final race in London, he finished second. The winner received a penalty, so Sam was given the win. This made him the first Formula E driver to win his home race. He finished the season in fifth place with 103 points.
2015–16 Season
In the 2015–16 season, Sam finished seventh in the first race. He then took second place in Putrajaya. He also finished second in Punta del Este. In Buenos Aires, Sam won the race after a strong drive. He had more top-six finishes in Mexico, Long Beach, and Paris. He finished the season in fourth place with 88 points.
2016–17 Season
Sam started the 2016–17 season with a tough race in Hong Kong. He lost a lot of time during a pit stop. But he quickly recovered, finishing second in Marrakesh. He said being on the podium felt like a victory. He had another podium finish in Mexico City. Sam became the first driver to win two races in a row in New York City. He finished the season in fourth place in the drivers' standings.
2017–18 Season
At the start of the 2017–18 season in Hong Kong, Sam started second. He took the lead and won the race. This put him in the lead of the championship for the first time. He finished fifth in the second Hong Kong race. Sam went on to finish third in the championship with 143 points. He was just one point behind second place.
2018–19 Season
Sam's first podium of the 2018–19 season was in Marrakesh, where he finished third after taking pole position. In 2019, he made history. He became the first Formula E driver to win a race in every season of the championship. This win happened at the 2019 Santiago ePrix. He finished the season in ninth place with 85 points.
2019–20 Season
Sam won the first race of the 2019–20 season in Diriyah. However, his second race ended early due to a collision. In Santiago, he drove from 16th to 10th and set the fastest lap. He crashed out of second place in Mexico City. The season was paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this break, Sam announced he was leaving Virgin to join Jaguar Racing. He finished the season ranked 10th with 63 points.
Jaguar Racing (2020–2023)
2020–21 Season
Sam Bird joined the Jaguar Racing team for the 2020–21 Formula E season. He continued his winning streak by winning the second race in Diriyah. A second-place finish in Rome made him the championship leader. Despite six "Did Not Finish" (DNF) results and one disqualification (DSQ), he still finished an impressive sixth in the championship with 87 points.
2021–22 Season
The 2021–22 season was challenging for Sam. He struggled to be consistent. He only scored points in a few races, like Diriyah, Rome, Berlin, Jakarta, Marrakesh, and New York. He never finished higher than fourth place. Sam had to miss the final two races in Seoul due to a broken hand. This was the first time he did not get a win or a podium in his Formula E career. He finished 13th with 51 points.
2022–23 Season
The 2023 season brought new rules and the Gen 3 car. Sam hoped for better luck after 2022. However, he had problems in Mexico City and retired early. He later achieved podium finishes in Diriyah, São Paulo, Berlin, and Rome. But he did not manage to win a race for the second season in a row. He finished eighth in the standings with 95 points. Sam left Jaguar after three seasons with the team.
McLaren (2024–2025)
2023–24 Season
In August 2023, McLaren announced that Sam Bird would join their team. He replaced René Rast and became teammates with Jake Hughes. Sam achieved McLaren's first-ever Formula E victory at the São Paulo ePrix. At the Monaco ePrix, Sam had a crash during practice and injured his hand. He was unable to race that weekend. Taylor Barnard, McLaren's reserve driver, took his place.
2024–25 Season
Sam Bird continued to race for McLaren in the 2024–25 season. His new teammate was Taylor Barnard. Sam will leave McLaren at the end of this season, as the team has decided to exit Formula E.
Endurance Racing Adventures
World Endurance Championship
In 2014, Sam Bird raced twice for the Ferrari AF Corse team. His first race was at Silverstone in Britain, where he finished third in the GTE Amateur class. His second race was the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. Sam took pole position in his class. He was leading the GTE Am race until he crashed with other cars in wet conditions.
Sam's Personal Life
Sam Bird went to Milbourne Lodge School until he was 13. He then attended Charterhouse School and later Millfield School. Sam is a big fan of football. He is also a strong supporter of Manchester United F.C..
Images for kids
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Sam Bird (pictured at the 2018 Paris ePrix) had spent six seasons in the Virgin team before moving to Jaguar for the 2020–21 season.
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Bird at the 2023 Berlin ePrix.
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Bird at the 2024 Tokyo ePrix.
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Bird racing in the 2018 6 Hours of Silverstone.
See also
In Spanish: Sam Bird para niños
