MELBOURNE, Australia – Barbados race car driver Zane Maloney said his chances of advancing in the sport and reaching Formula 1 are now better than before.
F2 driver Zane Maloney. (Photo courtesy of Formula 2)The 20-year-old became a member of the Red Bull Racing junior team two years ago, becoming a reserve driver for the world champion F1 team, but the two sides parted company at the end of last season.
It did not take long for the Rodin Motorsport driver to find a new home, and he was accepted into the Sauber Academy, and he is now a reserve driver for Stake F1 team from this year.
“I do think my chances are better, but because I feel that I’m a better driver and I’m doing a better job,” he said in a recent interview.
Maloney finished 10th, including four podium finishes, in his first season of the Formula 2 world championship, the second tier to F1 organised by the FIA, motor sport’s world governing body, and held on select circuits on the Grand Prix schedule.
“The chance is better if you do a better job in F2, so that’s really my goal,” Maloney added. “I mean, my goal is to get to F1, of course. But it’s really easy to look in the future.
“As any driver down the grid, you want to look to the future, but it does take away from the present, so I’m completely focused on the present. I know my management is completely focused on the future, and we’ll keep it like that.”
Maloney made a dream start to the F2 season this year when he won both the sprint and feature race at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
A week later, there were no podium finishes at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but he finished fourth and seventh respectively, despite a disappointing qualifying that placed him 16th and 15th on the grid and leads the championship after the first two rounds.
Round 3 of the F2 campaign is in the Australia city of Melbourne, which was kind to Maloney last season, when he finished third in the feature race.
He will no doubt be confident going into the weekend following his strong start to the season, and if Rodin are able to provide him with another car capable of winning either race, he has shown what he has already shown this season what he is capable of achieving.
