Jehan looking confident ahead of Round 2: Formula 2

Spielberg (Austria), 10 July 2020: India ace Jehan Daruvala is looking forward confidently to the second round of the FIA Formula 2, as the campaign returns to the Red Bull Ring here with Free PRactice on Friday and is positive that he would be able to realise the potential of the Carlin cars which showed the capability for great pace. In the Free Practice today, the Carlin cars showed that they have the pace to be in the forefront and the team which took both the rookies this year, with Daruvala having Yuki Tsunoda as his teammate, will be making amends to show some good results, what with the pace they have shown in Round 1 last week.

Tsunoda took P1 in the Free Practice last time around and if things go well Carlin has the potential to put its drivers on the top in the feature race tomorrow.

IN LAST WEEK’S RACE

At one point it looked as if all of the pre-race prophecies would be coming true. Guanyu Zhou led an all-second year front three of himself, Callum Ilott and Mick Schumacher, with highly rated rookie duo Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman following.

But this is F2 after all, so it was never going to play out like that was it? Zhou and Schumacher both dropped out of contention late on, allowing the 2019 F3 frontrunners a debut podium.

But the Carlin drivers, Daruvala and Tsunoda are looking to fight back and make amends.

CARLIN

Carlin didn’t quite hit the same heights in 2019 as they did in 2018, when they were crowned teams’ champions. They showed plenty of pace, and took two impressive victories, but struggled with consistency, and at times, bad luck.

They took a risk for 2020 in signing two rookie drivers to their rostrum, but Free Practice suggested they could surprise a few, as Yuki Tsunoda took P1. Things got a bit more challenging from here though, and ultimately, neither Tsunoda, nor Jehan Daruvala would score a point in Round 1.

FP was proof that the team are quick though, and if they can translate that into race pace this weekend, then they’ll be a force to reckon with.

DARUVALA SPEAKS

About his Racing style

“I tend to push corner entries a lot and I like to push the brakes, so that is probably the biggest difference in my style to others. Normally, I am quite smooth and there is not too much hustling going on, but I try to drive as close to the limit as possible.”

His First racing memory

“When I was a kid, I used to always watch Formula 1 on tv with my family. It was a family Sunday tradition that we used to do together – I was always a fan of speed and racing.”

“I was maybe around seven, and my sister and father were at a go karting track, just 10 -15 minutes away from my house – that was my first experience of seeing a go-kart. I was too small to actually drive back then, so I took two pillows and sat with them in the seat, so I could reach the pedals. That was the first time that I drove a go kart and that is when I felt the adrenaline and wanted to take it up as a sport.”

Jehan Daruvala’s Racing hero

“My racing hero is Fernando Alonso. He was my idol when I was young, and I used to watch him on TV. I used to always watch how he was driving, because no matter what the situation was, or what car he was in, he always got the maximum out of it, always pushed it to the limit. For that main reason, he has been my inspiration since I was very young.”

His favourite track on the F2 calendar

“My favourite Formula 2 track would be Spa-Francorchamps. From my past experiences of the track, I am a really big fan of the layout. It has a combination of slow, medium and high-speed corners, and it is also the longest track on the calendar, so it is, all in all, my favourite track. It consists of everything and it is fun for us drivers because you have a lot of opportunities to overtake, so it brings good racing. It is good for the drivers and the fans.”

Daruvala’s greatest racing achievement

“I think that I have a couple of biggest achievements to be honest., it is hard to particularly choose one. I think in karting, it was when I came third in the CIK-FIA World Championship. I also see the 2019 season as an achievement, in FIA F3, when I finished third. That was probably my most competitive season in car racing and it is probably one of the most competitive grids that I have been a part of. Those are probably the two biggest achievements of my career so far.”

The 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship is set for more excitement this weekend as the paddock returns to the Red Bull Ring in Austria for Round 2.

WHEN TO WATCH All times IST (GMT +5.30)

Friday Free Practice: 16:25 – 17:15

Qualifying: 20:30 – 21:00 Press conference: 21:45

Saturday Feature race: 20:15 (40 laps) Press conference: 21:35

Sunday Sprint race: 14:14 (28 laps) Press conference: 15:45