Zane Maloney was delighted after his first test in an IndyCar at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
The Barbadian completed around 100 laps at The Brickyard in an RLL Dallara DW12-Honda as he begins to assess his options outside of the road to Formula 1 ahead of the 2025 season.
The Rodin Motorsport driver sits fourth in the FIA Formula 2 Championship standings with four rounds to go and is an outsider in the title fight.
He has taken two victories so far this season, winning both races at the season-opening round in Bahrain, but has since fallen away from the ultimate pace.
Zane Maloney discusses his ‘good running’ in an IndyCar test at IMS
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have had moments of brilliance throughout the 2024 season, Christian Lundgaard drove to third place at the Sonsio Grand Prix at IMS.
Graham Rahal has also broken into the top 10 multiple times this year, scoring a best finish of eighth-place at Iowa in the weekend’s second race.
The 20-year-old explained the process of his first run in an IndyCar to RACER: “For a first test, I don’t think it could have gone too much better. I came straight from the last round of Formula 2 in Belgium, did the seat fit, a little bit of simulator and then straight onto the track.
“The team were very welcoming and went through everything that we needed to be prepared for the test. There was quite a lot of weather, so it was just two hours of running being lost because of the rain. Otherwise, we got some good running in, lots of push laps.”
The IndyCar machine is relatively similar to the FIA F2 car, with no power steering as well as a lot of downforce and power.
Maloney added: “In Formula 2, the car is already quite heavy, so it’s a similar style of driving.”
Multiple young drivers have found a home in IndyCar after failing to reach F1
The IndyCar paddock has had multiple young drivers who have attempted to make it to Formula 1 and have not been given a chance.
Callum Ilott moved to IndyCar after failing to reach Formula 1, spending two full seasons with Juncos Hollinger Racing. But his relationship with the team ended in tatters following the controversy on social media involving Ilott and Agustin Canapino at the end of 2023.
Theo Pourchaire performed admirably during his brief stint at Arrow McLaren in 2024, as well, hitting the ground running on his debut at Long Beach. The Frenchman was replaced by Nolan Siegel after the event at Road America.
More stability has been found in IndyCar by Lundgaard, who is competing in his third full year for RLL before moving to Arrow McLaren in 2025.