The 23-year-old is raring to go after recharging his batteries over the summer break
The Red Bull-backed racer is hopeful of a return to form for his team Prema Racing
by Suman Gupta
MUMBAI, August 25, 2022: Indian racer Jehan Daruvala heads to the iconic Spa-Francorchamps track this weekend hoping his Prema Racing team has turned the page on its recent struggles as the Formula 2 championship returns from the summer break for its Belgian round.
The 23-year-old, who opened the season with a streak of five podiums from six rounds, and his team mate Dennis Hauger endured a lean run of results over the races leading up to the summer break as Prema suffered from a puzzling lack of pace.
But having recharged his batteries over the break and conducted an analysis with Prema into the team’s struggles, Jehan, a triple F2 winner, is ready to hit the reset button and hopeful of being back in the fight at the front.
Jehan said, “I can’t wait to get back in the car and go racing again. I’ve had a good break at home with my family and friends and I feel rested, rejuvenated and ready to go. The races leading up to the summer break didn’t go as planned. But we’ve worked hard to understand why and I’m excited to see what we can do this weekend.”
The 7-km long Spa-Francorchamps track, one of the most historic and daunting circuits on the calendar, is Jehan’s favourite venue.
The Red Bull-backed racer won there in 2018 while racing in European Formula 3 and followed that up with a podium in the FIA F3 championship the following year.
This weekend will be only the second outing for Jehan around the track in Formula 2 machinery.
The series will race as a support event to the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.
Weekend schedule*:
Free practice: Friday, August 26th at 1505 IST
Qualifying: Friday, August 26th at 2200 IST
Sprint Race: Saturday, August 27th at 2130 IST
Feature Race: Sunday, August 28th at 1350 IST
*Live exclusively on Star Sports Select 2 and Select 2 HD
About Jehan Daruvala: Jehan Daruvala is a racing driver from Mumbai, India. He began karting at the age of 10 in 2009. Two years later, he was picked as one of the three winners of Force India’s ‘One From a Billion’ talent hunt. In 2013, he became the first Asian to win the British KF3 karting championship. A proven winner, Jehan has won in every category he has competed in. He is currently racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, which is a feeder series to Formula 1 and takes place on the same weekends. Already a multiple winner in the category, Jehan’s goal for the 2022 season is to claim the title which would boost his chances of becoming only the third Indian on the Formula One grid.
