Former Red Bull junior programme driver Zane Maloney has joined the Sauber academy, becoming a reserve driver for the Stake F1 Team and providing him with an opportunity to reignite his hopes of a career at the pinnacle of open-wheel motorsport.
Red Bull had six different drivers donning their livery on the 2023 Formula Two grid, but many of them struggled to make an impact with only Ayumu Iwasa taking part in the fight for the title. The rest were scattered across the midfield, leading Christian Horner and Helmut Marko to make changes to the operation of the junior programme.
This led to the departure of several young talents, including Maloney. Dennis Hauger and Jak Crawford were also eliminated from the program after completing P8 and P13 respectively in qualifying. Isack Hadjar finished 14th, but remains in his role as control and reserve driver ahead of his second F2 campaign.
Maloney, however, soon stood up. The Barbadian driver, who scored four podiums and finished tenth in the 2023 standings, joined the Sauber Driver Academy ahead of the 2024 campaign. The 20-year-old is ready for the season in the series, returning with Rodin’s team.
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Speaking after sealing his switch to the Swiss team, Maloney said: “I am honoured to join the Sauber Academy and to take on the role of one of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber’s reserve drivers.
“The Sauber name resonates with Formula One, as it has been part of the sport for over 30 years, paving the way for so many drivers who went on to achieve great success. I am pleased to become part of this family, and I am looking forward to working together this season, as I move closer to my goal of becoming a Formula One driver.”
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With Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu out of contract at the end of next season, there is an opportunity for Sauber’s junior drivers to earn their position on the F1 grid for the 2025 season.
However, if Maloney plans to do so, he will want to produce a sensational campaign in F2 next year. His Sauber junior teammate Theo Pourchaire won the championship last season ahead of Frederik Vesti, but it still wasn’t enough to win it. a position on the grid, with the young Frenchman now competing in Super Formula in 2024.