With the reveal of Zane Maloney’s new gear for the 2023 racing season, it’s safe to say the whole world will definitely know he is “the boy from Barbados”.
This racing season, the Barbados brand will be showcased on the Barbadian Formula two racer’s helmet, suit and race car. Showcasing Barbados visually in the motorsports world circuit is a huge achievement for Zane and Barbados as a whole.
The Barbados branding and design, which are featured on the gear, visually represent the partnership between the Barbados Tourism and Marketing Inc (BTMI) and Zane Maloney to showcase Barbados as a sports destination and the Motorsport Island.
Speaking on the partnership Zane said “I am very excited to be partnering with the BTMI to continue to bring awareness to Barbados as the Motorsport Island and destination. I hope that with this partnership I can further put Barbados on the motorsport map as being a country that has the potential to perform at the highest level.”
Motorsports is a billion-dollar industry with loyal high-net-worth fans and enthusiasts all over the globe. Partnering with Zane will help to engage and further showcase the island to new niche markets.
Corey Garret, Director of Caribbean and Latin America, Sports at the BTMI said “We are proud to be partnering with Zane Maloney as he continues to make his name known on the motorsports racing circuit. Sport is a critical pillar in our overall marketing strategy to diversify Barbados’ tourism product and build a more sustainable destination. With Zane as one of our biggest advocates, we are positioning Barbados as the ‘Motorsport Island’, so these designs and branding are just the beginning.”
The overall design of the helmet was executed by Zane, along with the Red Bull team. However, Mario Knight, the graphic designer at the BTMI designed the Barbadian element of the helmet.
For the aspects of the design that are representative of Barbados, Knight explained his vision was to showcase the heritage, culture and wildlife of the island.
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“One of the most iconic symbols in Barbados is a Bajan Bus Stop Sign (red and white circle). Any Bajan that sees it recognises it immediately, so it has become part of our identity. Surrounding the helmet features historical monuments like the Parliament Building of Barbados, our indigenous black belly sheep, our local Green Monkey and yellow silhouettes of flying fish which Barbados is well known for,” he said.
He added that the art piece features the Destination Barbados logo on the back of the helmet and its uniquely stylised trident in the centre of the red and white bus stop. The back of the helmet also includes a turtle as Barbados’ beaches are renowned for turtle nesting.
Zane said he loved the design of the helmet, especially the use of the green turtle on the back. He is an avid nature lover and turtles are one of his favourite animals, so the helmet truly represents some elements of him.
2023 will mark Zane’s first season on the Formula Two racing circuit with the Red Bull Racing Junior driver programme, after finishing his 2022 FIA Formula 3 Season by being named Rookie of the Year.
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