In the realm of motorsport, Jehan Daruwala is a rising talent who created history by being the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race. He was once a part of the Red Bull Junior Team and served as a reserve driver for the Maserati MSG Racing in Formula E Championship. We'll look at his background, professional trajectory, and current data in this article.
Early Career
Jehan Daruwala was born to a Parsi family on October 1st, 1998, in Mumbai, India. He went to school at Mahim's Bombay Scottish School. His father, Khurshed, is currently the managing director of Sterling & Wilson, a Shapoorji Pallonji partner firm.
Daruwala began karting in 2011 when he was thirteen years old, competing in a variety of competitions. He won numerous more series as vice-champion in Asia and Europe in addition to the 2012 Asia-Pacific Championship and 2013 Super 1 National Championship championships. In the 2014 Karting World Championship, Daruwala finished third. Rayomand Banajee, who mentored him, saw his potential early on and played a key role in building the groundwork for his future success.
Single-Seaters
Daruwala upgraded to single-seaters in 2015 and competed in the Formula Renault 2.0 championships with Fortec Motorsport. His fifth-place finish in the Northern European Cup was aided by three victories on the podium and continuous point-earning. He participated as a guest driver in the Alps and Eurocup series.
The next year, Daruwala switched to Lando Norris and Robert Shwartzman driving for Josef Kaufmann Racing. At Monza, he won the opening pole position and finished third in the second race. He achieved his first Northern European Cup victory in Hungary. Daruwala finished the North European Cup fourth after three further third-place finishes. Daruwala won the initial podium spot in the Eurocup but was unable to repeat the performance. He ultimately came in ninth place in the Eurocup rankings.
Before the 2016 season began, Daruwala competed in the Toyota Racing Series. Daruwala succeeded Lando Norris as the vice-champion after three victories and three more podium finishes. For the 2017 season, Daruwala rejoined the Toyota Racing Series. He won two races, including the New Zealand Grand Prix, and amassed the most pole positions of any driver.
Alongside Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman, Daruwala joined PREMA Racing for the newly established FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2019. In addition, he was chosen to join the Red Bull Junior Team, making him the second Indian to do so after Karun Chandhok. Daruwala had a successful season with PREMA, taking two victories and placing third five more times. He fought for the championship with colleagues Shwartzman and Armstrong, as well as Jüri Vips and Christian Lundgaard, in a close contest but ultimately came in third place to Shwartzman and Vips.
Formula 2
In 2020, Daruwala advanced to Formula 2 with Carlin, teaming up with Yuki Tsunoda, a Red Bull youngster. His achievements were hindered by dependability concerns and unfavorable luck at the beginning of his debut season. He recovered, though, and finished on the podium twice in the second half of the season, at Bahrain International Circuit and Spa-Francorchamps. Additionally, he won his first race at Sakhir Grand Prix Circuit in the season finale, outdueling F2 champion Mick Schumacher and Daniel Ticktum in a thrilling contest. He finished 12th overall in the standings and became the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race.
For his second Formula 2 season with Carlin in 2021, Daruwala continued to race with Dan Ticktum. He enjoyed a more consistent season, earning three more podium finishes at Baku, Silverstone, and Monza in addition to two more victories at Monaco and Sochi. The most of any driver this season, he also recorded four fastest lap times. He finished eighth overall in the standings at the end of the season, matching his F3 best performance.
For his third Formula 2 season in 2022, Daruwala transferred to MP Motorsport and partnered with Lirim Zendeli. He also joined the Mahindra Racing Formula E team as a backup driver. He had a strong start to the season, finishing third in Bahrain's first race. In the second race in Monaco, he followed it up with another podium finish. In 2024 he raced as a driver for Maserati MSG Racing in Formula E, but, however, he left his professional racing career by the end of 2025, and now works in his family corporate business, the Sterling and the Wilson Group, while pursuaing MBA.
Stats
Here are some of the stats on Jehan Daruwala’s career so far:
- Formula 2: 86 starts, 4 wins, 18 podiums, 0 poles, 4 fastest laps
- Formula 3: 48 starts, 4 wins, 13 podiums, 3 poles, 1 fastest lap
- Formula Renault 2.0: 49 starts, 1 win, 6 podiums, 1 pole, 0 fastest laps
- Toyota Racing Series: 30 starts, 5 wins, 9 podiums, 7 poles, 3 fastest laps
- FIA Formula 3 European Championship: 60 starts, 3 wins, 10 podiums, 0 poles, 0 fastest laps
- GP3 Series: 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles, 0 fastest laps
Jehan Daruwala, who has demonstrated his speed and brilliance in a variety of categories, is one of India's most promising motorsports prospects. By winning a Formula 2 race and joining a Formula E team as a reserve driver, he created history. He has also participated in esteemed initiatives like the Red Bull Junior squad and the Force India F1 squad. He has a promising future ahead of him and aspires to one day realize his ambition of competing in Formula 1.
Also Read | Famous Indian F1 Drivers in history
