A turnaround of epic proportions at Spa win Trident & Zane Maloney Best F3 Team Effort

15 December 2022

The win that kick-started a purple patch in form might have been the most impressive from a team perspective. During the Sprint Race at Spa-Francorchamps, Zane Maloney suffered a sizeable crash with Oliver Goethe, but it wasn’t the end of his weekend.

In the space of less than 24 hours, Maloney was then standing on the top step celebrating his maiden victory in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. The turnaround to repair the damage on the #3 Trident was as impressive as Maloney’s drive the next day.

Working through the night, the Trident mechanics were able to put back together and repair the car in time for Maloney to take the start of the Feature Race, a huge effort for all involved in the reconstruction of the car.

Not one to let his team down, the Barbadian driver wasn’t about to let his team’s hard work go to waste. Making the most of his front row start, Maloney took the lead on the opening lap but completed his move off the circuit. He was forced to relinquish the position back to Caio Collet, but familiar foe Goethe snuck his way back past in the process too.

Not to be deterred, the Trident driver refocused his efforts and was back through on Goethe soon afterwards and quickly closing down on Collet for the race lead. In the same spot as his opening lap overtake, Maloney pulled off the move for victory, his first in F3 and second podium of the season. It spearheaded a late season charge up the Drivers’ Championship table, with two more Feature Race victories following in the final two rounds of the season.

The Spa victory earned the team and Maloney the award for Best Team Effort Dallara Award at the FIA Formula 3 Prize Giving Ceremony.