Indian F1 hopeful Jehan Daruvala heads into this weekend’s season-opening Bahrain spherical of the System 2 championship together with his sights set on battling for the win. The 23-year-old from Mumbai has a robust document of success on the Sakhir desert observe, profitable his first System 2 race on the venue in 2020 in his debut season earlier than following it up with a podium there final 12 months.
Driving for reigning champions Prema Racing this season and having set the second-fastest time of pre-season testing on the similar venue, Jehan heads into the weekend as one of many favourites, Daruvala’s administration stated in a launch on Thursday.
Prema have received in Bahrain in three of the final 5 seasons.
A win would mark the proper begin to a season during which Daruvala is hoping to turn out to be the primary Indian to win the System 2 title.
Daruvala stated, “I can’t wait to go racing once more. Getting a while off on the finish of final 12 months was good and I’m now raring to get the season underway. Bahrain is the place I took my first System 2 win, it’s a observe that fits my driving fashion and I’m fairly positive we are able to do effectively there once more.
“The competitors will likely be powerful however we got here away in a robust place from ‘esting, I’m feeling at residence with the group and we go into the weekend assured that we are able to get some large outcomes,” he added.
Daruvala will hit the observe on Friday, March 18th for apply and qualifying. The weekend’s Dash race will likely be held on Saturday, March nineteenth, with the primary Function race scheduled for Sunday, March twentieth, earlier than the beginning of the Bahrain System One Grand Prix
Daruvala, who can also be a part of the Pink Bull Junior Crew, is heading into his third season in System 2, the feeder-series that sits beneath F1 on the single-seater ladder. He raced for Carlin within the final two seasons however has made the transfer to Prema Racing this 12 months.
The Italian racing powerhouse is essentially the most profitable outfit in System 2, having delivered three of the collection’ 5 drivers’ champions, together with Ferrari System 1 race winner Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael.
Daruvala, who completed third within the System 3 standings whereas racing for Prema in 2019, is trying to emulate this duo and observe Australian Oscar Piastri because the squad’s third straight System 2 champion. He’s eyeing a step as much as F1 in 2023, which might make him solely the third Indian to compete in motorsport’s prime tier.
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