Photo: Abt Motorsport
Formula 2 title contender Zane Maloney has secured a seat in Formula E next year with Lola Yamaha Abt.
German team Abt has been on the FE grid since the inaugural 2014-15 season, and was partnered with Audi for seven years. It then competed as Abt Cupra for the last two seasons and switched to Mahindra power, and for next year will run an all-new powertrain being developed jointly by Lola and Yamaha.
Sauber junior Maloney is currently third in the 2024 F2 standings with two rounds to go and won the first two races of what is his sophomore season. The Barbadian won the British Formula 4 title, came fourth in Formula Regional Europe and was FIA Formula 3 Championship runner-up before reaching F2 in 2023, at which point he became a Red Bull junior for one year.
He switched allegiance to Andretti and Sauber for 2024, acting as FE reserve driver for the former and F1 reserve driver for the latter. The 20-year-old was coy in recent discussions with media about his chances of racing in F1.
“I am delighted to be part of the Lola Yamaha Abt team and looking forward to this exciting challenge,” said Maloney.
“Although I already know the championship well, this is a completely new chapter for me, so working with such an experienced team, and alongside such a successful driver, is the perfect next step. I’ve followed and admired Lucas [di Grassi, his future team-mates]’s battles over the past seasons, including when he became champion. I’m sure that I will learn a lot from him and together we will push both ourselves and the development of the car forward.”
Abt’s CEO Thomas Biermaier added: “We are very much looking forward to having Zane as part of the team for season 11, and he has already brought a breath of fresh air during our first days working together. Giving young talent a chance and supporting them has been a strong tradition at Abt for many decades and that’s why it was clear to us that we would also
follow this path in FE.”
The 2024-25 FE season begins with one race in 2024, which takes place on December 7 in Sao Paulo. That clashes with F2’s finale at Yas Marina Circuit.