Zane Maloney’s signing by the Lola Yamaha ABT team for its first season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has been applauded by the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF). The 20-year-old’s promotion from the FIA Formula 2 Championship, confirmed earlier this week, has delivered on one of the BMF’s stated aims – to have a Barbadian driver competing in a World Championship.
Maloney will be teammate to ‘Mr Formula E’, former Champion Brazilian Lucas di Grassi. The championship features 17 rounds at 11 locations, starting at São Paulo in Brazil on December 9 and concluding with a double-header in London on July 26/27, 2025. Four days of pre-season testing in Valencia, Spain (November 4-7) will be the first time all the teams gather on track with their new GEN3 Evo machinery.
Using world-class motorsport, Formula E aims to transfer technology from racetrack to road and inspire innovation – accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles to drive the race for clean air forward. This is a comfortable fit with island goals relating to the environment and renewable energy, coming in the week that the BMF published its own Environmental Code of Practice as it positions itself at the forefront of environmental awareness and protection in island motor sport.
BMF President Senator Andrew Mallalieu said: “We are very excited about this new challenge for Zane, who has already achieved so much in his journey up the FIA single-seater ladder. British Formula 4 Champion, FIA F3 Vice-Champion, FIA Rookie of the Year and a front-runner in F2 this year, followed by hundreds of Barbadian fans.
“And now, he moves up into a World Championship, which answers one of the goals the BMF set for ourselves some years ago. There was significant competition for this coveted seat, which is a paid position that is earned and not ‘paid for’ and we are proud that he has been selected.”
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship features a collective of world-class manufacturers, renowned brands and world-class drivers. Rather than conventional racetracks, the races are run at city circuits around the world, another plus point for Mallalieu: “Having a Barbadian in this series will give more young people in inner cities exposure to Barbados through his participation, in addition to the extensive television coverage the series gains.”
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