Mumbai-based racer Jehan Daruvala has been signed by Maserati MSG Racing to compete in Season 10 of the FIA Formula E World Championship. Daruvala is the second Indian driver after Karun Chandhok to participate in Formula E and only the third Indian (after Narain Karthikeyan and Chandhok) to race in a world car championship. Jehan will join Maximilian Gunther at Maserati, which makes the duo one of the youngest driver pairings on the grid at 24 and 26 years respectively.
Jehan climbed the ropes of racing with Formula 3 in 2019, progressing to Formula 2 in 2020. The driver went on to secure four race wins and 18 podiums in F2 between 2020 and 2022. He also went on to drive the 2021 McLaren F1 challenger last year with test opportunities. Daruvala progressed to Formula E at the end of 2022 as a reserve driver for Mahindra Racing in Season 9. The driver made two rookie test appearances earlier this year with the Indian team and now comes on board as a full-time driver for Maserati MSG Racing.
Jehan Daruvala said, “Formula E is a championship that I have admired for a long time, and after taking part in two test sessions, I’m very happy to have the opportunity to step up to a full-time race seat. From my experiences so far, the GEN3 car is completely unique to drive, but I’ve found it to be a very rewarding experience. I would like to thank James and Maserati MSG Racing for giving me this chance and I can’t wait to learn more about the car and get to know the team better in pre-season testing, before hitting the ground running in Mexico City in January.”
James Rossiter, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing, said, “We’re excited about our driver lineup for Season 10, and we’re confident that the blend of Max’s experience with Jehan’s determination will prove to be a competitive combination. Max impressed us throughout the 2022/23 season, and continuing our relationship was a natural decision. He has brilliant speed, a strong understanding of Formula E’s GEN3 package, and with five seasons of experience – despite being aged only 26 – has an impressive amount of knowledge. That experience will be invaluable for Jehan, who has already shown good promise in his two rookie test outings with Mahindra earlier this year. Over the past four years, he has shown hunger and determination in Formula 2 and has clearly demonstrated that he has what it takes to win races. Now, Jehan is ready to do the work it takes to succeed in Formula E.”
Maximilian Günther, Driver – Maserati MSG Racing, said, “I’m very proud to continue with Maserati MSG Racing. We had a great first season together, particularly with the momentum we built in the second half of the year with one win, four podiums and two poles. Continuing to build on this base is something that I‘m very much looking forward to in 2024, alongside working with Jehan as my new teammate. After seeing our performance trajectory unfold this year, I‘m confident we can go on to achieve bigger and better things in the future.”
Giovanni Tommaso Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Jehan to the Maserati family. Together with Max, they will form a talented young pairing, and we are excited ahead of the new season. Every year, Formula E fields experienced drivers, alongside some of motorsport’s most promising young talents, confirming itself as the series of the future. We’re confident that Jehan’s arrival will give an extra boost to the whole team. He will also be making a major contribution thanks to his previous experience as a test driver.”
The 2024 Formula E Season 10 is set to kick off in January next year with the Mexico City e-Prix. The electric racing championship will be the longest next season with Tokyo added to the calendar. However, it’s still not clear if the championship will return to Hyderabad for the second time next year. That said, Formula E is yet to announce the venue for Round 4 and 5 to be held on February 10 and 24, respectively.
While Daruvala will begin his stint in Formula E, Max has been on the grid for longer. Gunther joined Dragon Racing as a test and reserve driver in Season 5 and was promoted to a full-time role in 2018. He moved to BMW i Andretti Motorsport in 2019 and later to Nissan e.dams in 2022. The driver joined Maserati in 2023 and went on to secure two pole positions, four podiums and Maserati’s first victory in world championship single-seater races since 1957. Jehan and Max will begin preparations for the 2023/24 campaign with pre-season testing at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo between October 23-27, 2023.
In related news, Mahindra Racing signed Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara as their new driver line-up on multi-year contracts.
First Published Date: 27 Sep 2023, 19:43 PM IST