Zane Maloney is still on a high from his winning performance at the Monte Carlo Circuit in Monaco this past weekend and has major plans to go where no other Barbadian has gone in the history of motor racing.
The 17-year-old Maloney was the top podium finisher during the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine Round 3, race 2 in Monaco. He is confident that he has what it takes to make history for Barbados and become the first Formula 3 champion driver from the Caribbean.
“I am just a boy from Barbados doing these things and the support I have gotten is amazing. Thank you to everyone,” Maloney told Barbados TODAY via an interview on Zoom.
Maloney who joined R-ace GP, continues to inch closer to racing in Formula 1 and said he believes that someday in the near future his dream will become reality.
“That has been my dream for my entire life. Racing is not so simple that you could just jump up to Formula one which a lot of people think you can do. It takes a lot longer, so I have been putting everything into it the last three four years on my journey to Formula one and we are getting closer which everyone can see but there is still a few more years to go.
“If I do well and I get the opportunity then for sure, we can get to formula one but we are still yet to find that out. I am just going to try my best and every day try to move forward and I am sure with all the support from back home we can get the first Bajan driver in F1,” he said.
Born to drive, Maloney, a British Formula 4 champion is well known at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados with his father Sean and also his Uncles Mark and Stuart who are familiar faces throughout Barbados and the Caribbean in motor sports.
Currently in fifth position with just 22 points off the lead, Maloney explained that during each race he focuses his attention on winning and the points take care of themselves.
“I don’t think about championship points. I think about wins, so I am going to try and win as many races as possible and if I do that we will be there for the championship. A few guys had quite a bad round this time which our bad round at Barcelona kind of even it out. So, we are back in the hunt for the championship and as everyone can see we are one of the top teams if not the top team. So, we are ready to fight for this championship,” he stated.
Maloney described winning in Monaco as a massive deal because it is the dream of any international driver.
“Every race is kind of normal, you go into it with the same mindset and kind of try to get the results. Whereas Monaco is once in a lifetime kind of opportunity and you have to take it with both hands. It is a street circuit, so everyone says the driver makes the difference at Monaco because if you don’t put it in the wall you done a good job already. So, to win at Monaco and have such a good qualifying lap as well on pole really means a lot to me,” Maloney said.
While preparation was tough, Maloney noted that it was worth it in the end knowing that he made his family and country extremely proud.
“Going into the race obviously I had no thoughts of any of that, it was just about executing and keeping the lead for the whole race because my teammate behind was very quick and one small mistake and it is not just going wide, it is going into the wall. So, every corner of the race you need to be fully on it and no mistakes at all. That was the main goal in the race.
“The whole end lap I was thinking about what I did for Barbados and how amazing it was for myself, my family and what an achievement it was. Obviously on the podium I did look back to see if they had the flag, I was hoping they did not forget it and I got some goosebumps once I saw it. I just lived in the moment and took it all in but it was amazing to see the flag and hear the national anthem,” Maloney recalled.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
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