Jehan Daruvala began his 2022 Formula 2 campaign with pre-season testing at the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain. He set the second-fastest lap time overall in the test with a time of 1:42.074, bested only by the Hitech Racing car of Liam Lawson, who set a lap time of 1:41.623. Daruvala set the pace on the opening day, with his fastest lap of the test coming in the first session itself. He also completed 153 laps over the three days, an encouraging sign of reliability. The third day of testing was interrupted by a sandstorm at the circuit.
For the 2022 season, Daruvala joins a new team, Prema Racing, after spending two years at the Carlin team with whom he finished 12th (2020) and 7th (2021) in the driver’s championship as he got to grips with the series. Prema is the reigning champion and has also helped the previous two F2 champions to their victories, Mick Schumacher and Oscar Piastri. Daruvala hopes to emulate the same and win the championship, hoping to secure a seat in F1 for next year. He continues being part of the Red Bull Junior team.
Speaking about his test, Daruvala said, “We experienced three very productive days of testing. Our pace on both long runs and qualifying simulations has been encouraging while reliability has also been strong allowing us to chalk up plenty of mileage. There are a lot of positives to take from the test and most importantly I feel comfortable in the car and ready for the battle on our hands.”
2022 can be a make-or-break season for Daruvala in his quest to become only the third Indian F1 driver after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok. Driving for Prema, he is widely expected to be in the thick of the championship battle, after showcasing several race-winning performances in the junior series in his last two campaigns. The Formula 2 season gets underway in Bahrain with practice and qualifying on March 18, 2022.