After four years in Formula 2, Indian racer Jehan Daruvala moved to Formula E and joined Maserati MSG Racing for the 2023/24 season, bringing with him a solid reputation and an impressive resume.
Expected to hit the ground running, being a former Formula 2 race winner and having 18 podiums in his career, 25-year-old Jehan hasn’t been able to show his best.
With three races down, Jehan has finished P16, P20 and DNF, respectively, failing to score any points, but the results don’t do justice to the progress shown by the racer.
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In the Diriyah e-prix, his last race, Jehan managed to qualify fifth fastest, the highest till now for an Indian racer. It was a big leap since Jehan had qualified P17 and P20 in his first two races.
In the race, Jehan, holding the P7 position for the first few laps, made a mistake, which pushed him to P10. In the 26th lap, he made another wide turn, which further pushed him to P13, and unfortunately for him, he had to retire the car with six laps remaining.
Transitioning from F2 to Formula E
It is challenging for a rookie to transition from a F2 to a Formula E car.
“Unlike tyre saving in Formula 2, you have energy saving in Formula E, and as a rookie, it is [very] difficult to get used to this. There is a lot more technical stuff in this car compared to an F2 car,” Jehan said.
The Indian racer has shown he has the pace, and that his car is capable of scoring points, as well. His teammate Maximillian Guenther has had a points finish in every race so far and is currently sixth in the driver standings with 20 points to his name. However, that hasn’t added any extra pressure on Jehan to perform.
“Max has an experience of six years in this, so there is no real comparison with him. We are working as a team and trying to score as many points as we can together,” Jehan clarified.
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He was part of the F1 Red Bull racing junior team for three years and has even driven a McLaren F1 car for testing on multiple occasions. After a good stint in the F2 with Prema Racing, it seemed like Jehan could have a future in Formula 1, but the chance is yet to arrive.
After a move to Formula E, the F1 dream seems even further away, and when asked about his future, Jehan said, “Formula E is pretty much my future and where I want to be.”
Jehan declared he wants to “secure his future” and expressed his desire to compete in Formula E next season. And for that, he will need to bring in good results and get points on the board for his Maserati MSG Racing team.
“The goal is to prove myself in Formula E and constantly improve and fight for points,” said the 25-year-old.
Next on the race calendar is the Sao Paulo Formula E-prix on March 16, and Jehan would be eyeing to convert his qualifying form into the actual race and win his first points in Formula E.
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