Soon after his third place finish in the FIA F3 season, Mumbai boy Jehan Daruvala was back in India for a short break and knee surgery. The 21-year-old finished behind Prema Racing teammate, Marcus Armstrong, and the winner Robert Shwartzman, before hurting his knee in practice.
Daruvala’s season included two wins in Spain and France, one pole, two fastest laps, seven podiums and a total of 157 points.
“Coming third in the championship and being able to fight till the end has boosted my confidence,” Daruvala told ETPanache in a phone interview.
A step to the next level — F2 — awaits the Dadar Parsi Colony resident, who is funded mainly by his father. F2 cars are more powerful. If 270kmh is the fastest speed in F3, F2s roar at max speeds of about 330kmh (the top speed in F1 is in the range of 370kmh).
Daruvala’s knee surgery meant he was unable to race at the season ending World Cup at the Macau Grand Prix. “In 2020, I will move to Formula 2. There is no decision made on what team and where,” Daruvala said. “But hopefully, I will be in a good team and a competitive car. I want to be able to fight for race wins, podiums and points.”
Daruvala was to race in F2 this year, but chose to compete in F3.
“It was a big decision,” he said. “I wanted to prove myself as a driver rather than just jump ahead. It worked out well. I could have finished second in the championship. Hopefully this paves the way to the future for me.”
Daruvala’s knee surgery meant he was unable to race at the season ending World Cup at the Macau Grand Prix, even though the race did not have much of a bearing on the season. The road to recovery is also one in which he is waiting to sign a new contract. He is in talks with a few teams.
“At one point [in the season], I felt I could be champion,” Daruvala said. “But a couple of bad races here and there and some bad luck, I was far away but still in contention going into the last race. I did my best.”
23 Corners & A Bumpy Street Surface: What Makes Marina Bay The Most-Demanding F1 Circuit
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20 Sep, 2019
FORMULA 1 Singapore Grand Prix Marina Bay Street CircuitCircuit length: 5.063 kmRace distance: 308.706 km (61 laps)Debut: 2008, won by Fernando Alonso for RenaultSix points to expect from F1’s only night race and one of the most-physically demanding circuits on the calendar.
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A Risky Drive
20 Sep, 2019
The Marina Bay Circuit arrived on the scene only in 2008 as the sport’s first night race. Designed by Herman Tilke and refined by KBR Inc, the circuit is one of the most-physically demanding (drivers can lose up to 3 kilos during a race) with 23 corners, a bumpy street surface and a turn that passes underneath a grandstand.
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What Makes The Circuit Unique
20 Sep, 2019
As if the track’s unique features weren’t enough, the inaugural race had plenty of sparks to keep fans enthused. A crash on Turn 17 saw Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr spin into the wall, giving teammate Fernando Alonso a chance to climb from 15th to 5th position. Alonso went on to win the race.
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So Much To Look Forward To
20 Sep, 2019
Viewers could expect similar excitement this weekend or at least the appearance of the safety car. Singapore holds the unique record of having at least one safety car appearance in every race to date. There have been 18 safety car deployments in 11 races.
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An Exciting Show
20 Sep, 2019
While street circuits tend to be tight and twisty with short straights, the Marina Bay layout gives drivers the opportunity to overtake, especially in Turn 7 and Turn 14 after the drivers cross the river on Esplanade Drive.
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