After a five-week break, the Formula E cars are back on track for Round 6 in Madrid. The action is set to take place around Circuito del Jarama. Ahead of the Madrid E-Prix weekend, Pit Debrief spoke to Zane Maloney in the media pen.
The Lola driver enters his second season with the team, and this time he hopes to fight for points and podiums. Prior to his Formula E journey, Maloney grew up racing in the feeder series. After two years in Formula 3, he stepped up to Formula 2. He stayed in the Championship for two seasons with Rodin, where he secured several podium finishes.
Biggest change in Formula E for Maloney
The switch to a full-season seat in Formula E came after several Rookie tests and outings with the all-electric series. While Season 11 looked fruitless for the driver, he was still on the cusp of points for a majority of the races. This time around, Maloney hopes to come back even stronger.
When asked by Pit Debrief what the biggest area of growth as a driver has been for him this season, Maloney explained:
“I think just managing a lot of people around me. In Formula E, there’s a big team behind you. Growing up in F3, F2, it’s not as big. So when you come to Formula E, it’s quite a big step in terms of how professional you need to be. I feel like I’ve moved forward a lot in that area. I’m not a much faster driver, I don’t think raw speed changes much throughout your career but managing people around you and getting the most out of everyone in their own way, once you learn that and get good at that then you will succeed. Obviously, having Lucas [di Grassi], who is very experienced, he knows how to do that. He’s probably the best person to come into Formula E and learn from in that aspect.”
He continued to explain that the big picture was everything coming together.
“We were a new manufacturer last year so it wasn’t just me coming in new. It was a lot of people that were new to Formula E, new to the team, new to working together. There was a lot of meshing to do between people, who should do this job when, and who is better at this job, we figured that out now. We know how to maximise the team that we have. I think that’s the biggest difference. Of course, new things are coming to the car every weekend. We’re developing the car, but we’re also maximising the car more than we have.”
Expectations for the Madrid E-Prix
The Madrid weekend started out sunny and dry, but as the conditions changed, so did the track. With the light rain and cold weather, the teams had to rethink their weekend run plans.
Speaking of his expectations for the Madrid E-Prix weekend, Maloney said:
“I don’t know, it’s quite cold. The track is quite physical. There’s a lot of elevation change. Of course, it’s a pit boost race, that changes strategy a little bit as well. Jeddah was our best Qualifying performance this year. In Jeddah, we had a lot of pace, on my car especially. It keeps moving forward, the team. If we can keep making small steps like we have in the last three or four rounds, we’ll be there or thereabouts in the duels all the time. Fighting for duels, so I’m excited for that. Once I keep maximising the car, I’ll be happy.”
Looking back to Jeddah, the pace seemed to be there for Lola early on. Maloney was set to start tenth on the grid after a strong Qualifying session. Unfortunately, things quickly turned sour, and despite a good start, contact with Pepe Martí caused him to drop down the field. Still, the pace was good and the team will hope to continue the strong momentum in Madrid.
When asked about the biggest challenge early in the season, the boy from Barbados admitted:
“The biggest challenge is that we’re still not competitive. We’re trying our best. The hardware of the car can’t change. We can’t physically change anything on the car. Even from a year ago, we knew things that we did wrong. We know what to change, but we can’t. In the rules this year, we can’t. That’s the annoying part, arriving at the weekend knowing that you are down in certain areas, no matter what you do. I’ve learnt that once I maximise the car, then I should be happy with myself. Once I leave the weekend knowing that I did everything I could for the team and with the team, then I’ll be happy.”
The Formula E Rookie Test
As Maloney himself is familiar with participating in Rookie Tests, he believes it is good to see the experience they offer. While he has been in Formula E for a bit now, the racer still remembers his early outings before his full-time seat.
“It’s cool. Of course, I did a couple of rookie tests and FP0s. A lot of the rookies are guys and girls I’ve raced against for my entire career. It’s cool to see that Formula E is now more looked at. I knew that was coming when I came over, but everyone else didn’t really see it coming. A lot of people didn’t see it coming, but they’re here now. Things have switched a little bit in motorsports. It’s moving towards that.
“Richard [Verschoor] and Hugh [Barter] for us. Richard and I raced for a very long time, also he’s watching the sessions during the weekend. He’s still a very good driver with two eyes that can tell me where I need to improve in certain areas. In that aspect, it’s also good.”
As Maloney stated, Richard Verschoor and Hugh Barter join Lola Yamaha ABT this weekend at the Rookie Test. With the drivers already familiar with each other, having an extra set of eyes could be hugely beneficial for the team.
