Jehan Daruvala hopes to have a successful Formula 2 outing

Jehan Daruvala in action. (PC: Red Bull)
Jehan Daruvala in action. (PC: Red Bull)

India's F1 hopeful, Jehan Daruvala hopes to have a good Formula 2 season as the season-opening Bahrain round of the Formula 2 championship beckons.

The Sakhir Desert Track has been a happy hunting track for Jehan Daruvala as he registered his first Formula 2 race win in his debut season in 2020 and followed it up with a podium finish in 2021.

Driving for reigning champions Prema Racing, Jehan Daruvala set the second-fastest time during pre-season testing. Prema Racing have won in Bahrain in three of the last five seasons and another win would mark a perfect start to the season.

Jehan Daruvala confident of having a good season

Jehan Daruvala hopes to become the first Indian to win the Formula 2 title and said he is confident and raring to go.

Read: Arjun Maini joins HRT for Asian Le Mans Series

The Indian racer will hit the track on March 18 for practice and qualifying. The weekend’s Sprint race will be held on March 19, with the main Feature race scheduled for March 20.

Jehan, who is also part of the Red Bull Junior Team, is heading into his third season in Formula 2, a feeder-series that sits below F1 on the single-seater ladder.

“I can’t wait to go racing again. Getting some time off at the end of last year was good and I’m now raring to get the season underway. Bahrain is where I took my first Formula 2 win, it’s a track that suits my driving style and I’m pretty sure we can do well there again. The competition will be tough but we came away in a strong position from testing and we go into the weekend confident that we can get some big results," he said.

Also read: Arjun Maini joins HRT for Asian Le Mans Series

He has raced for Carlin in the last two seasons but has made the move to Prema Racing this year. The Italian racing powerhouse is the most successful outfit in Formula 2, having delivered three of the series’ five drivers’ champions, including Ferrari Formula 1 race winner Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher.

Jehan, who finished third in the Formula 3 standings while racing for the Prema in 2019, is looking to emulate the duo and follow Australian Oscar Piastri as the squad’s third straight Formula 2 champion.

He is eyeing a step up to F1 in 2023, which would make him only the third Indian to compete in motorsport’s top tier.

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Edited by Parimal