Interviews by Sergio Álvarez; images by Diego Merino; estimated reading time – 1:42.848
Let’s start off by talking about organization skills. Being always on the muny and ahead of the game, deplying one’s soft (and hard?) skills efficiently.
Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala fits the description perfectly. The fastest Indian on the Road to F1 continues on in 2021 and is chasing his (first and last, because you can’t defend it) F2 championship, which, arguably, is a tough ask. He’s been battling at the top end consistently ever since his engine woes had been fixed last year. And right off the bat, he was quick in Bahrain’s triple-header, racing back @ one of his happiest places out there. He was clever and intelligent, putting a good push in when it counted, really the class of the field in terms of consistent points-scoring, and certainly Daruvala’s camp will be hoping all this may pay dividends down the way. It’s safe to assume that he’s getting better and better with every round.
Our own Sergio went ahead and asked Jehan to walk us through the new format for F2 weekends, especially when it comes to Saturday’s two Sprint races, having been a prominent part of the Formula 2/Formula 3 roster for a couple of seasons now. Surely, JD has the power to compare.
“Oh yeah, it’s changed a bit obviously because we have two (Sat) races but I think prefer this: the more you get to drive on a weekend, the better it is for us,” responds the 22-year old Mumbai native with a fire in his belly. “And now we get to also learn. Obviously, you had Race 1, then we have Race 2 in a few hours so we get to study the data and learn, try to improve ourselves for (later) tonight. Overall, it’s just better all round and no complaints from my side.”
Cool, calm, and collected Jehan. How come we don’t have an Indian F1 Grand Prix or an Indian driver in F1? After what (I recall) was a pair of decent races at The Buddh International, it’s a shame the sport has turned its back on George Harrison’s homeland.
JD can more than do the biz in F1. He knows his stuff: every time he goes for the gas, he’s ready to impress, based on his outright pace. With Formula 2, it’s a nip and tuck battle. Any failure to finish in the points is not an option, be it a team or a driver error, or even old-fashioned mechanical gremlins – a few months down the line you’re gonna feel the difference. And on that score, I’ll happily put my reputation on the line and bet JD for the drivers’ crown in 2021. Podiums and wins, there’s plenty more where that came from. Blooming, bloody, jolly good.
Red Bull, Carlin, and Daruvala are not ones for talking, they just wanna get on and do it. They leave talking and fan/media content to Mateschitz’s bone-crushing PR machine, and it’s one of the most effective tools in the Austrian’s mogul’s toolkit, I must add. Nobody does it better and with more aplomb than the fizzy drink company. Just a side note. Cheerio, adieu.
iberianmph.com 