Maloney is the talk of the town

Praises have been flooding in from all quarters after talented 16-year-old driver Zane Maloney won the British Formula 4 Championship at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday.

Describing Maloney’s win as “right up there with the very best” of his team’s triumphs, team boss Trevor Carlin said he was immensely proud of Zane and the team for showing patience and true fighting spirit to the very end.

“This win is right up there with the very best. This year was particularly challenging as we were essentially a one-car team for most of it. Zane and the team really had to stick together and trust each other that we were doing the right thing with no comparative data. It would have been very easy for us to have got lost and not delivered the final result,” Carlin said.

Zane Maloney (centre) celebrating his triumph.

Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) president Andrew Mallalieu added his and the federation’s sentiments on Maloney’s achievement. “The entire motorsport community joins together under the BMF to congratulate Zane on his significant achievement,” he said.

On his way to the British F4 crown, Maloney won 10 of the 30 races outright to equal Jamie Caroline’s record, finishing second three times and third twice. He also won the £10,000 Triple Crown Award for a clean sweep of three race wins in one weekend at Oulton Park in June. As a newcomer to the series, he clinched the Rookie Cup with seven races to spare – he won the class in 21 of the 30 races – claimed the £5,000 Super Rookie Award as the first Rookie to win a race outright, then last weekend became the first driver to win both the Overall and Rookie titles.

A powerhouse on the junior single-seater ladder for more than 20 years, with teams and drivers titles in categories including FIA Formula 2 and British F3 to its credit, Carlin enjoyed its 400th victory in professional motor sport at Thruxton in May thanks to Maloney, who also maintained the team’s 100 per cent record of British F4 Champions in the four seasons it has competed. The first, in 2015, was Lando Norris, now racing in Formula 1 with McLaren.

While the Bajan teenager’s on-track exploits are well-documented, he has also earned kudos in the United Kingdom for his off-track approach, many of the motor sport press remarking on his rounded personality, positive attitude and skills in dealing with the media. Just before Sunday’s final race, those opinions were reinforced when he was presented with the JTR Memorial Award by the British F4 Championship organisers and JTR team manager Nick Madge. The award honours the memory of the late Joe Tandy and rewards the rookie who has made the biggest impression on the paddock with his or her achievements, character and commitment.

Reflecting on his season, Maloney said: “Rating my season, I would say it’s been a seven out of 10. I think because it’s my first ever season in cars I didn’t know what to expect. I made a couple of mistakes and there were a couple of things out of my control that happened as well. But to end off this season with the championship and a win just tops it off. So overall an amazing season, but there’s still a lot to work on and I can still be a better driver, too. I just mainly want to say thank you to everyone at Carlin, and Kokoro, and everyone who has supported me this year in the UK and back at home.”

Speaking for Maloney’s island sponsors, Bushy Park Barbados, Rock Hard Cement and Sol, BPCI operations manager Amy Willis said: “We could not be more excited about Zane winning the F4 Championship. His motor sport journey started here at Bushy Park and we have followed his progress closely, particularly since he headed over to Europe in the last three years. We know how many island fans have been keeping check on his results this year, too, so it is good to know that he is inspiring the next generation.”

BMF vice-president Mark Hamilton added: “It is unlikely that any of us will truly understand the effort and sacrifice that has gone into getting to this point in Zane’s career, but we do know it proves what is possible, with the right combination of talent, commitment and support. Zane is another example of a sports personality punching above [his] weight on the world stage, something all Barbadians can be proud of.”