Mindset change the key behind improved form in 2024 says Maloney

11 April 2024

Zane Maloney’s blistering start to the 2024 season currently sees him at the top of the Drivers’ Championships, with the Rodin Motorsport driver having taken 67 points from the first three rounds of the year.

His three podiums, two of which are victories, mean that he currently heads the Standings by 15 points from nearest rival Paul Aron as we head into the European portion of the calendar.

“It's been good of course,” said Maloney as he reflected on his start to the season. “I think we have started the season very strong in pre-season testing in Bahrain, and we've kind of carried that form over.

“For sure it’s still been a difficult start just with trying to be close to the front all the time in Qualifying to set up good race weekends, but we've done that, other than Jeddah, we've qualified in the top five.

“Jeddah was the main circuit so far this year where we didn't maximise the pace that we had just because of the problems in Qualifying. Of course, it’s a very good start, a lot of things that could have gone better but also could have gone worse.”

One of those things that could have gone worse was his opening weekend in Sakhir, where the Maloney completed the double, winning both the Sprint and Feature Race to kick off his second Formula 2 season in style.

Looking back on Bahrain, he says: “It was quite funny because I didn't get to have anything like relaxed feelings because I went straight into Jeddah and focused on doing the same there.

Maloney won both races at the season-opener in Sakhir

“Of course it was a very good weekend, it was something that of course I had dreamt of many times. But when it happened to be honest, I think that it just told me that you can do the job, and you are here for the right reasons, and you can do these things.

“So, it just reassured me that I am good enough to be in F2 and to be winning races in F2 and I think from then on it has helped with just being more confident in myself and knowing that every time I go on track if I do a good job, I will be close to the front.

“I think that through my career that is one thing that I have had - knowing that, but in F2 last year it was a bit difficult to keep that faith when things weren't going well. So that was the main feeling behind it.

“Of course it gave me 36 points as well which is amazing. We got two wins in Bahrain, we got another podium in Australia in the Feature Race, but it’s not guaranteed that we get more wins and podiums the rest of the year. We just need to keep trying to improve as a team, me as a driver and just continue the path that we are on.”

Along with those two wins, Maloney has been as consistent as any. His P10 in the Melbourne Sprint Race the only time he has finished outside the points-paying positions this year.

Looking into the statistics and comparing them to his rookie season, the improvement from him is clear as at this same stage in 2023, he had scored one podium and was eighth in the Standings with 29 points.

Maloney revealed that a mindset change has helped him improve in 2024

When asked what has changed from year one to two, Maloney responded: “I think that last year I just had a bit of the wrong mindset coming into race weekends. Nothing really has clicked but it is more just a mindset change that has allowed me to get more out of the car.

“Every time I am driving and just focusing on each session, if it's Practice or Qualifying, or testing, or racing it doesn't matter, I just try and be as fast as I can in every condition, so I think that is what has changed from my side.

“It's a bit annoying because last year I had the potential to do what I am doing now but I just didn't do it for those reasons to do with the mindset and not getting the most out of the car.

"Last year all my podiums were in the Feature Race, so every time I had a good weekend, I was on the podium in the Feature Race and of course the other result was at the back of the grid.

“So that's the main difference. Of course, I understand more about the car, the team, about everything. But in F3 my main strength was Qualifying, I was always in the top three, whereas in F2 last year that was the opposite. So, I think that shows everything and it that wasn't my potential, but we just need to keep pushing on as a team.”

Maloney and Rodin will get a chance to improve on things at the in-season test in Barcelona on April 23-25. The Barbados racer plans to use the three days as a way not only for him and the team to improve the car but also as a way for him to become a “better driver”.

Maloney says it is too early to focus on the title despite his strong

This he hopes will put him in a good place for the rest of the season with his targets set on maximising each of the remaining 11 race weekends rather than on the title.

“To be honest it is always too early to think about from a driver’s point of view,” said Maloney of the F2 title. “My dream is to be a Formula 1 Champion and I just want to do whatever I can to become a Formula 1 driver and if that's winning the F2 Championship in any way possible then I will try to do it.

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“I am not focused on the Championship; I don't think I will be until hopefully I am Champion. I think that you just need to focus on the hard work to get results, and if I can get a P4 in a race I am not going to settle for a P5 because I am thinking about the Championship.

“I think that is the mindset I kind of go into racing in general with, just trying to maximise each weekend with everything we can, with all my ability and all the teams ability and then of course at the end of the weekend you can have a quick look at the Championship Standings and at the end of the year you will see.”