One of open-wheel racing’s rising stars from the Caribbean, Barbadian driver Zane Maloney, has finalized a high-profile switch to Nissan for the upcoming 2026/27 FIA Formula E World Championship, marking a pivotal career step that puts him in position to compete for top grid positions after two challenging seasons with the rookie Lola Yamaha ABT squad. The Nissan Formula E program officially confirmed the deal Tuesday, revealing that Maloney will pair with 34-year-old veteran Oliver Rowland, who is returning for his seventh consecutive season with the Japanese manufacturer, as the series enters its transformative fourth-generation (GEN4) car era.
For Maloney, the 24-year-old who earned the nickname “The Boy from Barbados” in global racing circles, the move represents the breakthrough opportunity he has worked toward since entering Formula E in 2024 alongside the newly established Lola Yamaha ABT entry. In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, he opened up about the decision, framing it as a natural next step in his pursuit of competitive success.
“It’s a huge chance for me at this point in my career, and I couldn’t be more excited to get started,” Maloney explained. “When I joined Formula E, I signed on with an all-new manufacturer in Lola. We knew going in that results would take time, that building a new program from scratch over an existing car generation would be a steep challenge. After two seasons, I’ve grown a lot there, but as a driver, my goal is always to fight for positions at the front of the grid. When the opportunity to join Nissan opened up, I grabbed it with both hands, and I’m ready to put in the work to get to the front.”
Nissan brings a proven winning pedigree to the partnership, a stark contrast to the developing program Maloney leaves behind. The Japanese outfit claimed the Formula E drivers’ championship just two seasons ago and finished fourth in the team standings last year, a track record that Maloney says made the move irresistible. “This is a team that is accustomed to winning races and fighting for titles, that’s what drew me here,” he said.
Maloney waste no time jumping into preparations: he will travel to Nissan’s Paris-based factory early next week to meet his new engineering team and support staff, before official pre-season testing for the 2026/27 season gets underway. The new campaign kicks off in December 2025 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, and the young driver says he plans to spend as much time as possible at the factory ahead of testing to get up to speed with the team’s processes and the all-new GEN4 car.
The GEN4 regulations represent one of the biggest shake-ups in Formula E history, bringing massive performance gains that fundamentally change the car’s handling. The new cars will jump from 350 kilowatts of power in attack mode to 600 kilowatts, adding more downforce, an active differential, and far faster acceleration – with 0 to 100 km/h acceleration that makes it the fastest accelerating race car in the world. Maloney says the new characteristics of the GEN4 car actually play to his experience, drawing a parallel to the open-wheel machinery he drove during his FIA Formula 2 career.
“It’s a whole new beast compared to the current generation car,” Maloney noted. “More power, more complexity, a completely different driving dynamic. It’s much closer to what I was used to in F2, and with the faster cornering and higher top speed, I think I’m going to feel right at home in this new package. It’s a big challenge, but I’m not daunted by it – I’m eager to get behind the wheel.”
Despite the move, Maloney made a point of expressing deep gratitude for his two seasons with Lola Yamaha ABT, the new manufacturer that gave him his first shot at Formula E. Though he only notched three top-ten finishes across two seasons with the team, he says the experience was invaluable to his development as a driver and a person.
“Lola and everyone at ABT gave me my first opportunity in this championship, and they’ve helped me grow so much over the last two years,” he said. “Starting as a new manufacturer halfway through a car generation is an incredibly tough task, but we took on the challenge together, we got some solid results along the way, and I made a lot of great memories. I have nothing but appreciation for everyone there, they’re incredible people.”
Maloney’s new teammate, veteran Oliver Rowland, has welcomed the Barbadian driver to the squad, saying he is confident Maloney’s junior career success and two years of Formula E experience will put the team in strong position for the GEN4 era. “I’m delighted to continue with Nissan for our seventh season together,” Rowland said. “With the GEN4 car coming in, we’re going to see a big step in performance and it’s something we’re really excited for. I’m looking forward to Zane joining the team, he’s had a great junior career and two years of experience in Formula E, which puts him in a good position to start Season 13 strongly.”