Crucial year for Maini and Daruvala

Two young Indian racing drivers with a common dream of reaching Formula 1. Things are getting serious, as they climb up the ladder.

Nothing comes easy in this world. In the case of young racing talent trying to break into Formula 1, it seems to have gotten progressively more difficult. Those who keep an eye on racers trying to make a name for themselves in junior single-seat series, cases like Robin Frijns twisting in the wind, the ‘meat grinder’ that is the Red Bull young driver program and rookie GP2 champion Antonio Giovinazzi not having his future certain are cases of aspiring drivers having a less than certain racing future despite impeccable credentials.
Eighteen-year-old Jehan Daruvala and soon to be 19-year-old (in December) Arjun Maini are currently at different stages of their motorsport ascent but aiming for the same holy grail that lures so many like them. F1.

It’s ambitious, but both Maini and Daruvala have been able to lay a better foundation than the last two Indians who took a crack at Grand Prix racing. There are more viable options for racing drivers beyond F1 these days, but try telling that to a hungry young teenager!

After karting and the initial forays into single-seat racing Maini found himself in the midst of a troubled FIA European Formula 3 campaign this year after leaving a top outfit for one that could do little to compete in what is essentially a condensed version of F1.

“You have to remember that F3 has open regulations and teams are not limited by as many restraints on testing and off-track development as GP3 or GP2,” Chandhok – who has been working with Maini on his race preparation – told autoX. “So if you are not with one of the top three teams operating in F3, you are likely not going to be a race winner.”

Maini had found himself to be in such an outfit last season with Van Amersfoort Racing, but found himself ill-prepared to exert himself in order to get the car set-up in a way that suited his driving style. A switch to GP3 has played to the strength of that driving style fairly well.

A podium finish in Hungary and qualifying within the top six has come along with strong race performances owing to the importance of tyre management in GP3. It is something that is mirrored even in F1 on account of the nature of the tyres supplied by control tyre supplier Pirelli; which also does so in GP3 and the higher of the two feeder series, GP2. After seeing through this season, Maini is currently aiming for a drive with a top team next year for a full GP3 campaign.

Daruvala on the other hand still has the option of hanging back and evaluating whether a foray in European F3 is better suited for career advancement or GP3. Although, indications are that F3 beckons on account of how much more driving – be it through racing or testing – drivers get to do as well as how much they can learn about the technical aspects of racing due to F3’s more open technical regulations. If a good deal with a competitive team comes through, you may even be reading this as Daruvala is announced as a participant for the Macau F3 Grand Prix.

While his second season in Formula Renault 2.0 did not net him a championship, he did consistently finish high in the top five; including podiums and wins. And he did so against a driver like rookie Lando Norris who is on the radar for any outfit on the lookout for the next star of the future. But regardless of what path he chooses – GP3 or F3 – things won’t get any easier and it will be a critical year for Daruvala as well as the future of Indian motorsport.