Mumbai, March 16 India’s Formula 2 driver Jehan Daruvala returns to action in Saudi Arabia this weekend as he returns to the high-speed Corniche street circuit in Jeddah, setting the scene for the young driver’s eventual top-three finish foundation year.
The 24-year-old, who rides for defending Dutch champions MP Motorsport, had a disappointing season-opening weekend in Bahrain a fortnight ago as he battled tire wear on the particularly rough Sakhir desert circuit.
But Jeddah’s 6.1-kilometre layout stretches along the Red Sea coast, offering him the perfect opportunity to hit the campaign restart button.
Daruvala had a thrilling podium finish there last year as he combined strategy, tire management and pure old-fashioned racing skills, including a daring triple overtake, to rise from 14th to the third.
Meanwhile, MP Motorsport had a strong pole weekend, a Sprint Race podium and last year’s Feature Race win.
With the track surface also being more tyre-friendly, Daruwala can be optimistic about a strong result in Saudi Arabia.
“I have fond memories of last year in Saudi Arabia. My performance in the featured race was one of my strongest performances of the season and I am looking forward to another top-three finish in Jeddah to fuel my campaign. Bahrain Not an ideal start for us. But the unique characteristics of the track mean it is an outlier rather than a true indicator of form. Nonetheless, we have worked hard to understand these issues and believe they are behind us. Plus What the team did in Jeddah last year gives me hope that we can bounce back with a strong result,” Daruwala said.
With four wins and 15 podium finishes in three seasons in the series, Daruvala has established himself as the frontrunner in Formula Two. He also qualified for a Formula 1 super license and successfully completed three F1 tests with former champion McLaren.
The 24-year-old is also a Formula E substitute for Indian manufacturer Mahindra Racing, a role he will combine with his F2 activities.
MP Motorsport, based in the Netherlands, became the second team in Formula Two history to win the double last year. Together with championship winner Felipe Drugovich, the team has won five races and has gone a further seven podiums.
–IANS
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