Daruvala will be only the third Indian to drive in an official FIA world championship.
Jehan Daruvala will race in Formula E next year with Maserati MSG Racing, alongside Max Guenther. After four years in Formula 2, the move marks the next step in his motorsport career and, as he revealed to Autocar India earlier this year, Daruvala believes his “future lies in Formula E”.
- Daruvala replaces Edoardo Mortara at Maserati
- Will race alongside Max Guenther
From Mahindra to Maserati
Given his reserve role with Mahindra Racing, Daruvala was strongly linked to a 2024 seat with the Indian team. But the 24-year-old admits that signing with Maserati was the best move for him.
Mahindra Racing struggled with the new Gen3 car this year, and only finished down in 10th place (out of 11 teams). Maserati also had its fair share of struggles early on, but the team displayed improved pace in the second half of the season and even went on to score its first Formula E win at the Jakarta E-Prix. That also happened to be Maserati’s first world championship single-seater win since Juan Manuel Fangio’s F1 German GP win in 1957.
“We got this opportunity from Maserati MSG Racing, and it was huge for me. They’re a huge brand. There’s a lot of heritage and I can’t wait to represent the Trident and put my best efforts on the track,” said Daruvala.
Why Maserati signed Daruvala
Daruvala replaces Edoardo Mortara (who moves to Mahindra) at Maserati and at least as of now, he’s the only rookie on the grid for 2024. Alongside his years of experience racing in junior series, Daruvala has also driven the current Gen3 Formula E cars – something that played a big role in Maserati signing him. He made two testing appearances with Mahindra, revealing that he “got used to the car pretty quickly” and even set the seventh fastest time in Berlin testing.
James Rossiter, team principal, Maserati MSG Racing, said: “He definitely caught my attention in the morning of the rookie test where he was the third fastest in a Mahindra, which I don’t think was the most competitive car last season. He ended up seventh overall in that rookie test and that was a very clear indication to me that he has the right skill set to succeed in Formula E.”
Despite boasting some great stats in F2 – including four wins and 18 podium finishes – it’s been a difficult season for Daruvala this year and he’s currently just 12th overall. But Rossiter says, “We shouldn’t underestimate how difficult it is to win a race in Formula 2. And also, as a driver I know first-hand that you have good seasons and you have bad seasons. It’s about bringing the best out of Jehan as we move forwards and you can all judge him on the results he will achieve with us.”
Daruvala: ‘Formula E the hardest challenge in my career’
Those who follow Formula E closely will know that you need to fine-tune a very different form of race craft compared to other single-seater series. “It’s definitely not going to be easy and I think it will be the hardest challenge so far in my career,” admits Daruvala. But he adds that it’s “something that I’m cherishing and looking forward to.”
When asked about just how challenging it will be to adjust to Formula E’s style of racing, he says, “I think the racing itself is going to be the part that I will have to adjust to the most. I’ve always been fast in everything I’ve driven; I was also fast in the rookie test. That doesn’t mean I’ll automatically be fast when I drive, but I think a qualifying lap is something that I can do.”
“So it’s definitely going to be a learning process for me, but something I feel like I can cope with quite well with my experience so far in junior racing.”
Daruvala further reveals that he’s currently in Monaco, where Maserati MSG Racing is based, working on the simulator as much as possible. As for his realistic goals for this season, the Indian says, “My goals are not only result-oriented, but more with the work that I do behind the scenes to prepare myself. And I think the results will then speak for themselves.”
He adds, “It’s going to be hard to put a name or a number, but consistently to fight for points and to be at the sharp end of the grid is something that I will be targeting through the season.”
Growing Formula E in India
Daruvala will be only the third Indian to drive in an official FIA world championship. India hosted its first Formula E round earlier this year with the Hyderabad E-Prix, but the event looks unlikely to return on the calendar next year.
However, Daruvala is hoping that having an Indian driver on the grid will boost the championship’s profile in the country. “I think there’s a lot of scope for it to grow, we have 1.5 billion people back home. So hopefully some good results and working well with a brand like Maserati MSG, together we can hopefully deliver good results and grow together as a sport.”
Pre-season testing for the 204 Formula E season gets underway next month at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo from October 23-27.
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