Excitement is building in Bahrain with the new FIA Formula 2 season starting tomorrow. Rodin Motorsport driver Zane Maloney spoke to selected media, including Feeder Series. 

By Martin Lloyd

Maloney remains with the former Carlin team, which underwent a takeover during the off-season. The Barbadian also has a new teammate, the reigning Super Formula and Super GT champion Ritomo Miyata, and Maloney is looking forward to the challenge of competing against such an accomplished driver. 

Challenges of a debut season

“I think Ritomo has shown to the world that he’s a very good driver and a very good benchmark, he’s in the same position that Jak [Crawford] and I were in last year.

“Coming from another championship, it doesn’t really matter which championship, coming to F2 it’s always quite different. He’s getting up to speed with the tyres, the car and the tracks.”

Evidently, Maloney is aware of the difficulties of joining a series as tough as F2 because he tackled his debut season in the championship in 2023. Maloney experienced a mixed year, where he scored four podiums but only scored points on four other occasions. However, the 20-year-old’s potential is clear from success in championships such as FIA Formula 3 and British F4. If Maloney can make more consistent visits to the podium, he could become a contender for a much higher championship standing.

Miyata’s experience

Miyata competed at the front of both the Super Formula and Super GT grids before his switch to F2 and is the first Super Formula driver to switch to F2 for 10 years. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old has strong pedigree. He beat Liam Lawson and Tomoki Nojiri to the Super Formula title in 2023 with three wins and never finished outside of the top five. Meanwhile, his dominant Super GT season with Sho Tsuboi saw a winning margin of 23 points. 

Maloney feels that Miyata is already helping to improve Rodin as they move towards the new season. 

“He’s a very good driver, and I’m sure that he will adapt well. The team are already helping him in many ways, and he’s already brought a lot to the team, as well from Super Formula.”

“He’s a champion in another category, which means he’s very good, and I’m looking forward to pushing on with him.”

Maloney and Miyata will be a formidable partnership in F2 this season. One is ready to step up following a solid debut year, the other a proven champion in multiple categories. Having finished in the top three of every teams’ championship since 2020, there is every chance that Rodin could do so again.   

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency