India’s Jehan Daruvala took a decisive step in his career progression to Formula One after signing as a Red Bull junior driver ahead of his F2 debut this year.
Red Bull, which has two teams in F1 — Red Bull Racing and Alpha Tauri — has one of the best junior programmes in F1 with the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen coming through it.
Ahead of the season, Daruvala drove the F2 car in the pre-season testing held at Bahrain early in March, and topped the timesheets in two of the six sessions — the only driver to do so multiple times.
Family time
However, with the season in limbo, the Indian is back home in Mumbai, spending some quality time with his family; something he doesn’t get to do often, as he has been based out of the UK since his karting days.
Speaking to The Hindu about his impressive testing performance, Daruvala said, “It was my first time in the F2 car and I felt good. I was coming back from knee surgery, and so the first day was about trying to get back into the groove.
“I adapted well to the car and felt quite comfortable rightaway.
“While it is difficult to know where we stand based on just one-lap pace, we were quite fast on the long runs. I am quietly confident that we have a good car,” added Daruvala.
Despite the break, he is leaving no stone unturned to be in shape and is ready if and when the season starts.
“I am just going to train as I usually do. I also have a new simulator that I have set up at home, though there are some connectivity issues. I hope I can fix them once the lockdown ends.”
New simulator
The simulator is a very important tool for drivers to be fully prepared before going into a race weekend.
With the current situation not expected to ease until June or July in the continent, F2 faces a tough road ahead.
When asked if there are concerns that the season could be massively curtailed or even cancelled, he said, “It is unfortunate not to be racing and we have no idea what is going to happen.
“So, I just hope to be as prepared as possible when it starts.”
