Formula 2 star Jehan Daruvala is keen to prove Helmut Marko wrong after his departure from the Red Bull young driver initiative.
Like many Formula 1 teams, Red Bull invest in young drivers and support them on their journey through the ranks. Daruvala was one of those on the books as he made his mark in F2 – one rung below the top category on the single-seater ladder.
But it was announced last month that the 24-year-old is no longer part of the programme. The decision is likely to have been made as Daruvala does not appear to be close to landing a seat in F1, and also to make room for several new faces brought in by Red Bull.
The Indian remains in F2, and will race for defending champions MP Motorsport this year alongside Dennis Hauger – who remains in the Red Bull set-up. His goal, naturally is to get the better of his new team-mate to prove a point.
"The decision wasn't a surprise for me – it was pretty straightforward with Red Bull Racing and Dr Helmut Marko, there are no hard feelings," Daruvala told Evo. "We had three great years together. If it wasn't for the disqualification in Austria, I would've still finished third in the crivers' championship.
"Could that have changed the course for my career? I don't know. In 2022, I had the best season in Formula 2, from a driving point of view. But I just didn't have the package under me. In the end, I was hoping that going to Prema would give me the opportunity to win the championship and go to Formula 1.
"It is what it is, there were no results, so it was natural for the relationship to end. My goal is to beat [Hauger] as much as I can and prove that I should've been on the programme."
Admitting he has "no expectations" of an F1 seat even if he were to win the F2 championship this year, Daruvala is considering other options. One of the most attractive appears to be Formula E – particularly with Indian team Mahindra Racing, with which he already has a relationship as a reserve.
He added: "Had I taken the Formula E route earlier, I would've probably had a race seat by now. But the team was patient with me while I pursued my Formula 1 dream. I will be attending most Formula E races that don't clash with my Formula 2 commitments and I will be doing simulator correlation sessions through the season.
"I wish to be as integrated as possible and target a seat with Mahindra Racing next year, if possible. But to get a seat in Formula E isn't easy either! Mahindra Racing has made it clear that I need to perform at a high-level in Formula 2. There's always pressure since there aren’t a lot of places to hide when racing."
