Jehan Daruvala becomes first Indian to win F2 race as he scripts history Sakhir Grand Prix

Jehan Daruvala becomes first Indian to win F2 race as he scripts history Sakhir Grand Prix

Jehan Daruvala at the Sakhir Grand Prix

Jehan Daruvala at the Sakhir Grand Prix
Jehan Daruvala at the Sakhir Grand Prix

Jehan Daruvala created history at the Sakhir Grand Prix on Sunday as he became the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race. Daruvala had a good launch from second on the grid and was up alongside pole-sitter Daniel Ticktum. The Rayo Racing driver was engaged in a thrilling battle against F2 champion Mick Schumacher before taking on Ticktum. Daruvala went on to emerge on top in the support race of the season-ending Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The race can be summarised as a skirmish between Ticktum, Schumacher and the 22-year-old Indian. To start with, Ticktum squeezed Daruvala on the inside allowing Schumacher to go around the outside of both of them. Eventually, Ticktum emerged in the lead, followed by Schumacher and with Daruvala close behind. A few corners later, Daruvala made a good move to pass Schumacher and get into second. A thrilling battle as Schumacher and Daruvala took on each other. The latter eventually emerged victorious as he grabbed the second position.

My goal was to do myself and my country proud

Jehan Daruvala
Jehan Daruvala

Quick laps followed as Daruvala toiled hard to get ahold of the race leader. Although he failed to take the lead, his peresistance forced errors from Tictum before Daruvala made another fantastic move to grab the lead with less than 10 laps to go. Once in the lead, he drove wonderfully to gradually start opening up a gap and finally took the chequered flag to win his maiden FIA Formula 2 race.

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“Motorsport is pretty big in India. We obviously have a lot of people, so I have a big fan base back home, and my goal at the end of the day is to do myself and my country proud. (I have) to prove to people from back home that even though we don’t have the same facilities and stuff that guys have in Europe, as long as you can work hard you can fight right at the sharp end of the grid,” Daruvala was quoted by ESPN.

His Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda took the second spot as he finished 3.5 seconds after Daruvala. While once race leader Ticktum finished third to grab a pole position.

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