MISSING OUT ON TOP FLIGHT DIDN’T HOLD BIRD BACK
SAM BIRD cried himself to sleep after his F1 dream died.
He was on the cusp of a seat on the world’s most exclusive grid after finishing second in the GP2 feeder series in 2013, while working with the Mercedes team.
But when no F1 drives became available, Bird was cut by Mercedes and out of a job – which left him unable to pay his bills. Seven years on,
Bird, 33, is a Formula E legend and the only driver to win a race in all six seasons in its history.
He bids farewell to the Envision Virgin team tonight as the campaign ends with the final race of six in Berlin.
Next season he will line up for Jaguar and form one of the strongest partnerships on the grid alongside Kiwi star Mitch Evans. Saying farewell to Virgin will be emotional after they picked him up from his lowest point.
“I was going to have every young racing driver’s dream come true. It would have been amazing,” he said.
“However, it didn’t work out – quite spectacularly. I went from being so close to so far from that dream very quickly, which was so very disappointing.
“I didn’t work for Mercedes any more from the following year and I had nothing else. I had no income. I couldn’t afford my bills, I couldn’t afford my council tax and my electricity got cut off.
“I was sitting there one day in my flat – I could see my breath it was so cold – and I cried myself to sleep.”
Britain’s Oliver Rowland secured his first Formula E win as he led from start to finish last night in Berlin. The Barnsley racer lies second in the standings going into today’s season finale.