The Indian 23-year-old raced with Prema in the 2019 FIA Formula 3 championship, finishing third behind team-mates Robert Shwartzman and Marcus Armstrong, before graduating to F2 with Carlin for 2020.
Daruvala took a single win in the reversed grid Sakhir finale as he finished 12th in the standings, improving to seventh with sprint race wins at Monza and Abu Dhabi.
Having been retained as a Red Bull junior, Daruvala will be one of five proteges supported by the Austrian company in F2 this year including reigning F3 champion and new Prema team-mate Dennis Hauger.
Daruvala admits junior programme boss Helmut Marko was “pushing me a lot to change my racing style - be a lot more aggressive and care-free” in 2021 and is determined to make his experience count in the new campaign.
“2022 is a make or break year for me and it will be about how I handle it from the start of the season,” he said.
“I think the main thing for me is to start 2022 with the same mindset I ended 2021 with.
“I also know that if I want to drive a Formula 1 car towards the end of this year or in a Free Practice session or even in 2023, I need to take a step up in my fitness.”
Reflecting on his decision to return to Prema, which has scooped the last two titles with Mick Schumacher and Oscar Piastri, Daruvala said he believed the Italian team can help him achieve his goal of reaching Formula 1.
“There are only three, four good teams in Formula 2 and I wanted to continue in the series only if I got a chance to race for one of them,” he explained.
“In Formula 2, Carlin is a strong team but if I stayed there for a third season, I would have the same knowledge that I gained in the first two seasons.
“Even if the car is the same at Prema as it is at Carlin, I look forward to the new philosophies, thoughts and approach to a Formula 2 season.
“For example, the approach to tyre management in a race is different at Prema than we had at Carlin, as is the approach to brakes and bringing them in the working range and so on. I will look forward to combining the two - what I learned at Carlin and what I will learn at Prema.
“I am in the best team, I am a part of the Red Bull junior programme - I have the best tools to perform.
“I won’t put extra pressure on myself but I believe I can win.”
