F1 hopeful Daruvala moves to bigger wheel..................

Sixteen year old Jehan Daruvala has signed a one year contract with British team Fortec in Formula Renault 2.0.

His maiden season in the car racing circuit is scheduled to start a good seven months hence. Preparation, nonetheless, had begun for Jehan Daruvala two months ago. At that point in time the groundwork had a lot to do with finding a team and developing the physical strength he needed to adjust to Formula Renault 2.0. Now, the 16-year-old has the first base covered. He has been signed by British team Fortec to mark his first year away from the very basic karting level.

A one-season contract is what the Mumbai-boy was offered by the Northamptonshire-based team. But more than the length of the contract, it was his own compatibility with the members of the group that attracted the teenager. Daruvala will race along with a royalty in the Fortec ranks. Prince Ferdinand Hapsburg of Austria stands as his co-driver, along with Australian driver Joseph Mowson. “It’s a very friendly bunch and that creates a good atmosphere to learn better and adapt to changes faster,” he says. There was also the matter in which the team analysed their data that appealed to him. “Each driver’s statistics based on their speed at each bend was compared. Every detail was broken down and that just makes it easier to understand what needs to be done to improve,” he adds.

The ability to enhance his own skill at racecraft, by his own confession, has always been Daruvala’s strength. He was originally expected to compete in the senior karting level for two seasons. That was until a third-place finish in the World Karting Championship and a second spot in the German National Championships in his first year prompted the Force India Academy driver to push upwards towards cars.

While looking for suitable employers in the new division, Daruvala tested the heavier vehicles and made an attempt to acclimatise himself with the new surroundings. “The braking technique is much different here and I’ve managed to figure that out. In the meantime, I needed to strengthen my neck muscles and also work on cardiovascular strength. I’m up to the mark now,” he explains.

Testing with his new team, in which he is the youngest driver, will commence once he finishes his IGCSE examinations in January. The first three months of the calendar, in the meantime have been deemed the most crucial of the season. “I have to do a lot of training in the car, and also in the simulator. This is a completely different level than what karts are so I need to make all the adjustments before the season starts,” he states.

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