F1 teams will be keeping a closer eye than usual on Formula 2 with so many great talents driving in the series this season.
The performance of Oliver Bearman in Saudi Arabia has shone a spotlight on Formula 1’s main feeder series.
And while there’s also a lot of hype around Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli, BBC journalist Harry Benjamin told The Chequered Flag Podcast that there’s another youngster who will be grabbing the attention of team bosses already.
Maloney putting himself in the frame for a F1 seat
It’s safe to say that Formula 1 teams haven’t been particularly convinced by what they’ve seen from F2 in recent years.
The last two champions – Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire – are both currently sitting on the sidelines looking for a seat on the grid.
Even Liam Lawson, who did exceptionally well for AlphaTauri last season when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo for five races in 2023, didn’t earn a full-time race seat.
After two Grand Prix, the Australian is already under pressure but it’s still very early days.
There have already been four races in F2 this season and the ‘Boy from Barbados’ as commentary teams love to call him is currently leading the field.
That’s Zane Maloney, the 20-year-old currently starring for Rodin Motorsport this year.
He was seriously impressive in Bahrain, achieving the rare feat of winning both the Sprint and Feature Race.
Maloney is already 15 points clear of second-place Enzo Fittipaldi and might be putting himself in the frame for an F1 seat.
Formula 1 teams taking a closer look at F2 stars
Speaking about the potential rookies trying to race in F1 next year, Benjamin said: “It certainly seems like when you get to the top of F2, if you win it or if you do well, that’s almost as far as you can take it over the last few years.
“The last couple of champions haven’t made it to the grid. Felipe Drugovich has had to be on the sidelines as a reserve for Aston Martin and now he’s gone off to do sports cars this year.
“Theo Pourchaire as well, he’s had to go and spend a year in Japan doing Super Formula, he’s part of the Sauber academy as their reserve.
“And then you also look at, everyone seems to have forgotten about Fred Vesti as well, who did such a good job last year, finished runner-up in Formula 2, is the reserve for Mercedes, but he’s not being talked about for that second seat that’s available at Mercedes.
“Instead, everyone’s talking about Andrea Kimi Antonelli who’s actually 10 in the F2 standings, which sort of highlights how bizarre the start of the F2 season is.
“At the top of the championship is a guy called Zane Maloney, who is a Sauber reserve from Barbados and he’s putting himself now into the frame for a seat.”
Who is the ‘Boy from Barbados’ Zane Maloney?
Zane Maloney has been driving in single-seater cars since 2019 when he won the F4 British Championship on his first attempt.
The Barbadian made the step up to Formula 3 in 2022 and finished runner-up to Frenchman and Alpine test driver Victor Martins who has also been linked with an F1 seat.
He stepped up to F2 for the final round of the 2022 season and competed in his first full-time campaign at that level last year, finishing 10 in the championship and securing two wins in the process.
Barbadian drivers are few and far between and he’s earned the nickname the ‘Boy from Barbados’ as a result, which rolls off the tongue and is frequently used by commentators.
Maloney is leading the way this season and putting himself in the frame for an F1 seat, especially as he’s part of the Sauber Academy after leaving the Red Bull fold last year.
Both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are out of contract at the end of the season, potentially opening up a spot for a young driver.
Andreas Seidl has ideas on who he wants to join the team before they become Audi in 2026.
But if Maloney keeps putting in top performances, then he might force the German manufacturer to take a risk on a rookie next year.
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