Jehan Daruvala successfully completes Formula 1 Test With McLaren

Jehan Daruvala, a 23-year-old Indian racer has successfully made his Formula 1 test debut this week with eight-time constructors' winner McLaren and is now qualified for a Super Licence. Aiming to become the third racer from India to compete in Formula 1, the Woking-based team drove the 2021 race-winning Challenger - MCL35M - at Silverstone on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This was Jehan's first foray using F1 machinery and was able to complete more than 130 laps over the course of two days, which is twice the distance that has to be covered by F1 drivers during next weekend's British Grand Prix.

He was also able to apply for a Super licence that is required for competing in Formula 1 with the points that he gained with this track time and was able to drive trouble-free on both days.

He is currently racing with Italian team Prema in the Formula 2 championship, the feeder series that sits one step below Formula 1, and is third in the overall standings.

In a media release on Friday, Jehan said, "I really enjoyed my first time driving a Formula One car. I felt immediately at home and while it was physically more demanding than anything I have driven in the past, I didn't have any issues with my fitness."

He added that this experience provided him with an input as to the workings within F1 weekend teams.

"As a result, we were able to work through the run plan well and complete everything we had mapped out. We did a mixture of high-fuel long runs and as well as shorter, low-fuel runs on different tyre compounds. That gave me a good understanding of how teams operate on an F1 weekend.

"Overall, I'm very pleased with how the two days went, how I coped and the mileage we were able to complete. I felt I was able to push closer to the limit with every lap and I can't wait to drive one of these cars again," he added.

A three-time F2 champion, Jehan is a part of the Red Bull junior team, and has reached 12 podiums in this category. In this season alone, he has had five top-three finishes from six rounds.

He aims to become the first Indian to win a Formula 2 title this season.

Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok are the only two other Indian drivers in F1.

Source- PTI