India’s Jehan Daruvala notched up the second win of his career and first win of his season, as he took the top spot in the second sprint race in Monza at the Italian Grand Prix.
Starting off in second position behind David Beckmann, Jehan had an excellent start when the lights went out. He braked late into the first corner, a smart move which set him up for success. However, an incident behind them put out a Virtual Safety Car situation. This did not deter Jehan as he held his own once the race started again.
Driving a clean and consistent race, Jehan was in the lead as the race restarted. Beckmann was right behind him, and got DRS but the Red Bull Junior driver kept his cool and stayed clear of everyone. Jehan continued to increase his advantage once Beckmann got out of DRS range.
Formula 2: Jehan Daruvala wins Sprint Race by Over 6 Seconds
With only 3 laps to go, Daruvala had opened up a lead of 5 seconds, and barring any incidents he was a clear favourite to win. Beckmann soon fell behind as Bent Viscaal overtook him. F3 Champion, Russia’s Robert Shwartzman grabbed the third spot as the race came to an end.
The crisp performance by Daruvala meant that he would win the second sprint race at the Italian Grand Prix by over six seconds. This was Jehan’s first victory of the season, and his third podium. It was the second victory of his F2 career after the Sakhir Grand Prix last year.
“It feels truly special to hear the Indian national anthem on the top step of the podium. Winning at Monza is every racer’s dream. I had qualified well and knew I had the pace to win. Getting ahead of David at the start and then breaking the tow were critical moments in the race. A big thank you to Carlin for the great car,” said Daruvala according to Scroll.in.
Also read: Formula 1 2022 cars: Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and co. react to new look
