Photo: Formula Motorsport Limited
Zane Maloney is on this week’s Formula Scout Podcast, and among the topics he discussed was the main challenge he faced in his successful rookie FIA Formula 3 Championship campaign.
After a troubled start to the year with no podiums in the first 11 races, Maloney turned his fortunes around in the second half of the season and came close to claiming the title by winning the last three feature races.
Bearing that all in mind, he acknowledged FIA F3 was a big step compared to previous categories in terms of variables that can affect the end result.
“I think just generally how tough the championship [FIA F3] is,” Maloney affirmed when asked what this year’s biggest difficulty had been.
“Of course, in certain championships I’ve done before FIA F3 there’s maybe a bit less to think about, whereas in F3 there’s more to think about, there’s more to go wrong, more chaos. I think that was the most difficult thing.
“Obviously, we don’t just have to go out there in qualifying and do the lap and then go in the race and just drive as hard as we can. Compared to championships I’ve done before, there’s a lot more to think about during the quali lap, before the quali lap, after the quali lap to not get penalties, and then obviously in the races you are having to save the tyres, there’s DRS to think about, there’s a lot to think about,” he explained.
“When you see drivers making mistakes, not really talking about me because I know why I made my mistakes, but when you see other drivers making mistakes that look stupid from the outside, maybe they’re not as stupid because they were thinking about five other things other than that and just missed that one simple thing.
“It’s very easy to do in these [Formula 1 support] championships,” Maloney said of the small errors that may look clumsy from the outside. “Anyone that makes mistakes, I do feel for them as well because I know how much there is to think about.
“Once you step up the ladder, I’m sure there’s even more to think about. But FIA F3 really does prepare you for whatever you do in the future. It’s of course a great championship and a lot of eyeballs, and I think I’ve kickstarted my career let’s say.”
Listen to the full episode of the Formula Scout podcast with Maloney to find out about his thoughts on his season, the sweet and tough moments, what he has improved on, his recent racing in the Caribbean and more. You can find it on Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Castbox, Apple Podcasts and Spotify or below.