He is the only Indian with a direct association with a Formula One team. After a successful outing in the Toyota Racing Series, finishing second in the championship, Jehan Daruvala has his eyes set on winning the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC where he is currently placed second after the first round in Monza, Italy. The 17-year old Sahara Force India (SFI) protege speaks about his progress.
Excerpts
The Toyota Racing series in New Zealand: New Zealand was a very good experience for me. Having five continuous weekends of racing with practice on Thursday and Friday gave me a lot of track time. The conditions kept changing so we had a number of wet races plus races on slicks in damp conditions. There were many restarts under the safety car and the reverse grid had its own set of challenges. It was an enriching experience.
Last year’s lessons: I was very happy with the way my first season went. Once I finished fourth in my very first race in single seaters at Monza, I had the confidence that I could compete with the very best. During the season I had a couple of pole positions, podium finishes and fastest laps. I finished fifth in the overall championship which was good for my first year. So while I was satisfied with the season, I would have liked to have won the rookie championship (where I finished second) and would have liked to have had a race win. All through the season, I was not able to nail the start and hence generally lost a few positions. This is something I have improved upon in the current year.
Future goals: The target would be to win the championship in the Eurocup and the NEC. While it is not going to be easy, I believe that I have the speed and the experience to achieve this. However I do need to work on my consistency. At this point, all the options are open for 2017 — European F3, World series (Formula V8 3.5) or GP3. Once the current season is over, I will be testing cars for all three series and will take a call towards the end of the year.
The bond with Force India: Without Force India’s help, I would not be where I am. They have created an environment around me since the age of 12, which is similar to what has been available to most F1 drivers. I have raced in the most competitive series, with good teams, renowned driver and mind coaches, had excellent support on the nutrition and fitness side. With the support of SFI and my parents, there has been nothing lacking in the tools given to me to achieve my dream. It is now up to my natural ability and hard work to ensure that I get there.
From karts to cars: After having finished third in the world karting championship, there is always that apprehension as to whether you will be able to carry the same momentum to single seaters.
