Indian racer Jehan Daruvala made a successful Formula One test debut with McLaren at Silverstone, UK.
The 23-year-old drove the MCL35M, McLaren’s 2021 car, over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday and racked over 130 laps without any issues.
The trouble-free test drive means Daruvala can apply for a Formula One superlicence.
What a couple of days it’s been!… An unreal experience driving a Formula 1 car for the first time around Silverstone 🤩👌🏽 A big thank you again to everyone that made this happen, I had lots of fun and learned so much in just two days ✅
— Jehan Daruvala (@DaruvalaJehan) June 24, 2022
📸 photos by @nickdunganphoto #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/SOxeyj5J90
“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,” Daruvala said.
“As a result, we were able to work through the run-plan well and complete everything we had mapped out.”
Daruvala, a part of the Red Bull Junior Team programme, currently races for Prema Racing in Formula 2 and is placed third in the championship as it stands.
The Mumbai-lad aims to become the third Indian to race in Formula One after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok.
Though he is hoping a strong F2 season can get him a seat on the F1 grid in 2023, Daruvala had earlier said that he is open to the possibility of being a reserve driver.
