New beginnings

After three campaigns in Formula 2, Jehan Daruvala is now a part of the homegrown Mahindra Racing team

JEHAN DARUVALA IS SWITCHING gears, and after three seasons in Formula 2, he will be joining Mahindra Racing as a reserve driver. The last season included his first feature race win and F1 tests with McLaren, but with no F1 seat in sight, this is the logical next step. Daruvala will support Oliver Rowland and Lucas di Grassi with race support and development of the brand’s new car. He will also work at Mahindra Racing’s Banbury HQ, helping engineers with the simulator.

As part of the job, Jehan will also be attending a few Formula E races next year, including the inaugural Indian E-Prix, to be held in February at Hyderabad.

Speaking about his appointment, Daruvala said, “To be a part of an Indian motorsport team is a dream come true. Formula E is very competitive, and I am really excited about this new chapter of my career. Season 9 promises to be very exciting with the all-new Gen 3 car and I am looking forward to learning and contributing, especially to car development and supporting the team. Mahindra Racing’s pioneering efforts in promoting sustainability globally are commendable and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute.”

Asha Kharge, the chairperson of Mahindra Racing, was equally pleased, “We are delighted to welcome Jehan to our team. As a founding member, Mahindra Racing has diligently worked towards promoting Formula E globally and we are pleased to bring a young, accomplished Indian race driver to this fantastic sport. Jehan, with his experience and results across single-seaters, will add a great wealth of knowledge to our development programme. With Formula E’s debut race in India, this is an especially exciting year for us, and we are excited to give the Indian fans a truly global experience.”

With this, Jehan Daruvala becomes the second Indian driver to drive in Formula E as well as for Mahindra Racing after Karun Chandhok in the inaugural 2014 season. ⌧