2023 will be Daruvala’s first F2 season without Red Bull backing and he’s hoping to make them regret their decision. But he admits that his future is in Formula E.
Jehan Daruvala is gearing up for his fourth season in Formula 2, having joined reigning champions MP Motorsport. As one of the few Indians competing in the top rungs of international single-seater racing, the big goal has always been for him to progress to F1. However, speaking with select media ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain GP, he admitted that his future lies in Formula E.
- Daruvala racing in F2 this year with reigning champions MP Motorsport
- Also serving as Mahindra Racing’s Formula E reserve
Daruvala: I wouldn’t be back in F2 if it wasn’t with a top team
Heading into last year’s F2 season, Daruvala was a man on a mission – he had to win the championship to show Red Bull that he has what it takes to make the step up to F1. However, things didn’t go to plan.
“Last year, sadly we [Prema] just weren’t quick enough with the package we had,” he admits. While he did pick up his first-ever feature race win at Monza and finished on the podium eight times, he could only manage seventh place in the championship.
He’s since joined Mahindra Racing as their Formula E reserve driver and is eyeing a spot on the grid next season. However, he still needed to decide on a race plan for 2023 and had two options ahead of him – stay in F2 for a fourth year or move to a different series like Super Formula in Japan or IndyCar in USA.
Ultimately, he decided to go with the former. “Going to either America or Japan for one season wouldn’t really make a lot of sense. Also, doing nothing for a year wouldn’t make a lot of sense either,” he explained. “I had the opportunity to be back in F2 with MP and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t in a top team. I’ve done a few seasons, but I’m here to win and I’ll give it my best.”
He added, “I feel like last year was the best that I drove in my three seasons in F2 and I still didn’t get the result we wanted. Hopefully I just have a package that can help me show the world what I can do, and I believe that I can fight at the front of the championship.”
Daruvala: Hopefully I can make Red Bull regret their decision
Daruvala had been part of the Red Bull Junior academy since 2020. With Red Bull being one of the biggest Formula 1 teams today, it’s no surprise that their junior driver programme is one of the most competitive in the world.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that he would no longer continue as part of the Red Bull junior team. “Some relationships come to an end and that one did. Obviously they didn’t see me in their F1 seat this year and didn’t really give me any options to be a reserve. So it didn’t really make sense for me to continue and stay in the academy,” he said.
This year, Red Bull has a total of six junior drivers in F2 – Jak Crawford, Enzo Fittipaldi, Isack Hadjar, Ayumu Iwasa, Zane Maloney and Daruvala’s MP Motorsport teammate Dennis Hauger. And Daruvala is hoping to outperform them all – “Hopefully I can make them [Red Bull] regret that decision at the end of this year and beat all the juniors that are in F2.”
Daruvala’s Formula E future
It’s clear that Daruvala’s goalpost has moved to Formula E. When asked why he believes Formula E is the best fit for him, he explained: “I want to stay in single-seaters, to be honest. There’s Formula E, Indycar and Super Formula. But also, I want to be racing more in Europe; I’m used to the environment there,”
“Apart from that, I think Formula E has got a high level of teams, manufacturers and drivers. I want to be racing with the best drivers in the world and I think Formula E would have that. So, it’s a suitable option for me and definitely a profession that will suit me well.”
Of course, Daruvala’s more immediate focus will be on F2’s 2023 season-opening Bahrain round this weekend. There will be some more Indian representation on the F2 grid this year, with Kush Maini driving for Campos Racing as well. For those who want to catch all the races live, they will be streamed on F1 TV Pro.
Also see:
2023 F2: Daruvala joins reigning champions MP Motorsport