Jehan Daruvala will now be a part of the Red Bull Junior program, the same one that produced some of the best F1 racers over the years, including Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Alex Albon, and many others. In what is one of the biggest boosts to Indian motorsports, Red Bull Racing Formula One Team have signed Jehan Daruvala to their Red Bull Junior Program in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Jehan will race for Carlin, alongside fellow Red Bull Junior Yuki Tsunoda, in his maiden F2 season. It seems like Jehan’s consistency has paid off. He culminated a fantastic season last year where he finished third in the FIA F3 championship. He started the season last year on a positive note. His two consecutive victories were followed by more podiums till the half way mark of the season. He even lead the championship briefly. However, his car did not start during the formation lap of the last round, and he was forced to start from the pitlane, 29th and last, from where he showed one of his best performances, climbing 20 positions, finishing the race in the 9th place. He lost the runner up spot just by one point.
“After an excellent year for me in FIA F3 in 2019, I hope to carry my form into my first year in F2 with the support of the Red Bull Junior Team and Carlin. There are many experienced F2 drivers and a number of strong rookies making it an exciting grid this year – I’m looking forward to the challenge!” said Jehan.
Trevor Carlin added “We are delighted to welcome Jehan back to the team for his third season with us. His performance last year in FIA F3 was extremely impressive and we really believe in him. There is no reason why he cannot make it all the way to the top. Without a doubt there will be a lot to learn – both for Jehan as a driver in a more powerful car and also for the team with the new 18-inch wheels but we have a great team ready to meet those challenges“
The 2020 FIA F2 season will be exciting for the Indian motorsport fraternity. The grid of 22 drivers has a mix of very experienced F2 drivers and some very fast rookies. The competitiveness of the series is seen from the fact that 13 of the 22 drivers are a part of the junior development program of F1 teams. It is the final frontier from where racers make their way into F1, driving at over 330 kmph on the same weekend as the F1 races.