The Formula E grid welcomes a new driver. Starting from Season 11, Zane Maloney will join the electric championship with the ABT Lola Yamaha team after completing his second season in Formula 2 where he is currently third in the standings.
Knowing that it would be difficult to make the leap to F1 despite being a Sauber Academy driver, the Barbadian driver has thus chosen to begin a new adventure in Formula E after having already tasted the electric category in the last two years, in which he was a reserve for the Andretti team. In these two seasons spent at the court of the American team, Maloney has also had the opportunity to test the Gen 3 car, not only in the simulator, but also on the track during the test sessions dedicated to rookies, where he performed well and was noticed by the other teams.
An important aspect for Lola, which was looking for a young driver to replace Nico Mueller, who left for Andretti, but who already had experience behind him, because jumping into a Formula E car without a minimum of preparation is proving extremely complicated. Maloney will also be the first Barbadian driver to race in Formula E and, next year, he will join Lucas di Grassi, who has become a reference figure for the team, not only because he returned to the base at the beginning of 2024, but also because he won in the past in 2017 when the team was associated with Audi.
Zane Maloney, Abt Lola Formula E
Photo by: Abt/Lola
“I am delighted to be part of the Lola Yamaha ABT team and I am looking forward to this exciting challenge. Although I am already familiar with the championship, this is a completely new chapter for me, so working with such an experienced team and alongside a successful driver is the perfect next step. I have followed and admired Lucas’ battles in recent seasons, including when he became champion. I am sure I will learn a lot from him and that together we will push ourselves and the development of the car forward,” Maloney said of his first impressions as an ABT driver, noting that there are no specific expectations for the upcoming season, just to do the best I can.
“We won’t know how good our package is until Sao Paulo. [il primo ePrix della stagione a dicembre]. I am confident that I have the speed to be competitive, but experience is key in Formula E, so I will do everything I can to recover as quickly as possible,” added the Barbadian driver. Maloney has already tested the car in a test session in Varano at the beginning of September and will take to the track again this week in Spain.
Season 11 will also be a leap into the unknown for the team, not only because the new Gen 3 EVO cars will debut. The 2024/25 season will mark Lola’s return to a world championship for single-seaters, with a project that aims to restore prestige to the English brand, but which, clearly, will start from scratch and without previous experience, even if the team can rely on the collaboration with a prestigious brand like Yamaha, as well as technicians recruited from other teams.
Zane Maloney, Abt Lola Formula E
Photo by: Abt/Lola
For Lola, entering the top electric series represents the opportunity to approach the world of motorsport again but with a different commitment. First of all, as in the case of ERT, the FE gives the chance to work on new technologies, software and tools that can then be resold on the market: beyond the promotion on the racetrack, the series offers the opportunity to develop useful skills in the world of electric cars.
“We are very much looking forward to having Maloney as part of the team for Season 11, and he has already brought a breath of fresh air during the first days of working together. Giving young talent a chance and supporting them has been an Abt tradition for decades, so it was clear to us that we would also follow this path in Formula E,” said Abt CEO Thomas Biermaier. Till Bechtolsheimer, President of Lola Cars, was of the same opinion, highlighting the mix of a young driver and an experienced one in di Grassi: “Zane is a very talented young driver with an abundance of speed and potential, and together with Lucas, we have an ideal combination of youth and experience.”
Maloney’s announcement adds another piece to the puzzle, following the unsurprising confirmation of Robin Frijns and Sebastien Buemi at Envision for next season, which kicks off in early December. The only line-up yet to be revealed is ERT, with Dan Ticktum on pole to retain one of the two seats.
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