Zane Maloney to join Sauber Academy and take on additional Reserve Driver role for Stake F1 Team

Hinwil, 31 January 2024 – Sauber Academy is set to further expand its roster of young talents in 2024, as Zane Maloney is announced as the latest inductee of the team’s driver development programme. The young Barbadian will also take on the role of Reserve Driver for Stake F1 Team at several Grands Prix during the 2024 Formula One season, sharing the duties with fellow Sauber Academy driver, Théo Pourchaire.

Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, and coming from a family with a strong motorsport heritage, Zane got his first taste of motorsport at a very young age, when he competed, aged three, in his first karting competition, finishing second. That was only the beginning for the young driver, who went on to collect multiple karting titles both in his homeland and in the United States, before moving across the Atlantic in 2018. Quickly adapting to European circuits, that same year Zane went on to achieve outstanding results in the Karting European Championship, in the World Championships, and in the WSK Champions Cup.

2019 marked the switch to single seater racing, and an overall successful year for The Boy from Barbados, as Zane quickly became known in the motorsport world: he went on to triumph in the British F4 Championship, the first rookie to win the championship outright in the history of the series. After that, Zane quickly rose through the ranks year after year, collecting podiums and wins until his big break in 2022, when he claimed second place in the FIA Formula 3 Championship in his debut season. The impressive performance saw the Barbadian elected FIA Rookie of the Year for the season, and heralded a promotion to Formula 2, where he made a stellar debut by stepping on the podium on his debut Feature Race. Zane went on to enjoy a remarkable rookie season, collecting four podium appearances to finish tenth in the standings – and third among the rookies.

Zane will continue racing in the series with Rodin Motorsport for a new F2 campaign in 2024, now supported by Sauber Academy. With his double role as reserve for Stake F1 Team, this is going to be a busy season for the Barbadian – but he’s not one to be fazed by high demands put on him.

Beat Zehnder, Sauber Academy Director: “We are delighted to welcome Zane as the latest addition to the Sauber Academy. His path through the junior series has been remarkable so far and, with his speed and potential, he surely makes a great addition to our talented roster. In addition to his Formula 2 campaign, where he will aim to succeed our own Théo Pourchaire to the title, Zane will also share with him the Reserve Driver role for Stake F1 Team. On behalf of the whole team, I give him my warmest welcome onboard, and look forward to working together and achieving great success.”

Zane Maloney, Sauber Academy and Stake F1 Team reserve driver: “I am honoured to join the Sauber Academy, and to take on the role of one of Stake F1 Team’s Reserve Drivers. The Sauber name resonates with Formula One, as it has been part of the sport for over thirty 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.”

Media contact:
press@sauber-group.com

Will Ponissi, Senior Communications Manager, william.ponissi@sauber-group.com, +41 79 591 57 85
Elena Rovelli, Communications Manager, elena.rovelli@sauber-group.com, +41 78 209 18 57

About Sauber Academy:

The Sauber Academy is the driver development programme of Sauber Motorsport, which operates Stake F1 Team in the Formula One world championship. This programme offers drivers a full development pathway, designed to lead them from grassroots to the pinnacle of motorsport and nurture the next generation of Formula One drivers. When it comes to discovering and nurturing young talent, Sauber has a proven record of success, boasting the names of Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Kimi Räikkönen, Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica, Sergio Pérez, Charles Leclerc and, of course, Zhou Guanyu among the drivers getting their big break with the Swiss outfit. The Sauber Academy, under the direct supervision of Sporting Director, Beat Zehnder, provides its inductees with the training necessary to progress on their way to their ultimate target, Formula One. This will take the shape of mental and physical training, technical work with the team’s engineers, media training and work on the simulator – both for F1 and for the drivers’ respective series – in order to develop a complete and well-rounded driver, capable of dealing professionally and successfully all the on- and off-track challenges a career in motorsport delivers.