Look, you have to love the sheer, unadulterated dedication of a family that lives and breathes racing. Known everywhere as "the boy from Barbados", Zane Maloney is stepping up to his biggest Formula E season yet, and frankly, the machine waiting for him is an absolute beast. The 23-year-old will represent Nissan for the first season of GEN4 in 2026/27, sharing a garage with World Champion teammate Oliver Rowland.
Motorsport is simply in Maloney's blood. His grandad, two uncles, his dad, and two of his older cousins were or are drivers, meaning he was planted at the racetrack every single weekend from the age of one or two, before jumping behind the wheel himself at just three. Though he juggled six or seven different sports at school, racing was the ultimate passion. Support from back home fueled his rise through junior single-seaters, where he became the first Barbadian driver to win a race in both FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2, alongside earning Formula 1 Reserve Driver roles for Red Bull Racing and Sauber.
Every great driver has a hero, and for Maloney, that idol is none other than seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton (yes, that Lewis Hamilton). The Scuderia Ferrari driver has inspired a generation, with Maloney having first met him back when Hamilton visited Barbados in 2014 to drive go-karts. In fact, Maloney's racing number 22 is a deliberate tribute to the legend — because Hamilton is 44, and the young Barbadian figured if he could be half as good, 22 was the magic number.
Carrying the flag for a nation of 280,000 people on the global motorsport stage is no small feat. While Barbados has produced plenty of cricketers and NFL players, Maloney is the lone triumphant racing export. Even though local fans have to endure 3am race starts to watch him, the island's backing has been immense. And then, of course, there is the local icon who happens to be a personal supporter: global pop phenomenon Rihanna. After Maloney swept both rounds in FIA Formula 2 across the opening race weekend in Bahrain a few years ago, he received a direct message and an Instagram follow from the singer-songwriter. She even planned to attend Miami last year before last-minute schedule clashes got in the way, and Maloney is still actively trying to get her to a race.
Now, all eyes turn to the future and the radical new GEN4 machinery. Maloney has already sampled the new Nissan challenger, and his verdict is glowing. Featuring an active differential, permanent all-wheel drive, 600kW of power, and an extra dose of downforce, the GEN4 car is a massive step up that he calls genuinely enjoyable to drive. With nobody quite knowing what to expect from the new formula, adaptability is going to be everything.
The calendar ahead takes the grid to some legendary venues, too. Maloney counts Brands Hatch — where he clinched his British F4 title — and Zandvoort, site of his Formula 3 victory, among his favorites, while also eyeing the fast and flowing Sector 1 at COTA. Before the lights go out on the new campaign, Maloney and Rowland will head out for Pre-Season Testing at Circuito del Jarama, Spain, running from 16 to 20 November.
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