Daruvala posted a lap time of 1:42.782 seconds to go quickest.
Indian racing star Jehan Daruvala earned his maiden FIA Method 2 podium on the Bahrain Grand Prix Assist Race on Saturday. The Crimson Bull Racing Junior is the primary Indian to face on the rostrum in an FIA Method 2 Race, within the current period of the championship.
The F2 season moved to Sakhir, Bahrain, for the final two rounds of the F2 championship, and Daruvala instantly confirmed his tempo in the one apply session. Within the final quarter-hour, Daruvala posted a lap time of 1:42.782 seconds to go quickest. With simply 5 minutes left, Nikita Mazepin of Russia went sooner by a mere 0.122 secs.
Qualifying threatened to fully undo all of Daruvala’s efforts. He confronted visitors on his fast laps that allowed him to publish a time that was fast sufficient for eighth on the grid, two locations forward of Championship chief Mick Schumacher. Callum Ilott of Nice Britain earned one other pole place.
P3 and my first podium in @fiaf2championship💪🏼✅…Race was thrilling 😀 , had an incredible enjoyable battling on the finish with @mickschumacher… Huge due to @carlinracing …Now wanting ahead to tomorrow 🤙🏼 @FIA_F2 @CarlinRacing @pap_sc @_winway pic.twitter.com/20ChjCSoo1
— Jehan Daruvala (@DaruvalaJehan) November 28, 2020
Daruvala made a superb begin for the Characteristic Race (Race 1) from eighth. He gained two locations and stayed in a sixth for a number of laps. Daruvala and different racers on the Medium compound of tyre, then appeared to battle in opposition to these on the Exhausting Compound. Lap 5 noticed Daruvala lose two locations and was pressured off the circuit. The ensuing lack of velocity misplaced him extra positions. Daruvala stayed in tenth for a number of laps earlier than pitting to vary tyres.
The 22 12 months previous Indian emerged from the pit down in 18th place. He then reeled of a collection of fast laps to climb up the order. He gained extra positions as others pitted and was operating sixth by lap 19 of the 32 lap race. Daruvala quickly overtook a number of race winner Robert Shwartzman to maneuver as much as fifth.
Race chief Mick Schumacher then took his necessary pit cease. Daruvala’s blistering tempo after his personal pit cease meant that Schumacher emerged from the pits behind Daruvala, who was now operating third.
The principle threat was that Schumacher had tyres that have been many laps more energizing than Daruvala. The 2 have been evenly matched for at the least one other six laps, earlier than Schumacher, now in his second season, began closing the hole to Daruvala. Schumacher quickly introduced the hole down from two seconds to round 1.5 seconds. Moreover a lot more energizing tyres, Schumacher was additionally now on the sooner Medium compound and charged to scale back the hole all the way down to 0.7 seconds with 5 laps remaining.
Sadly for Daruvala, this meant that Schumacher was now additionally ready to make use of his DRS (Drag Discount System) which gave him further velocity on three straights across the F1 circuit. It appeared solely a matter of corners earlier than Schumacher would overtake Daruvala.
Nonetheless, in a nail biting few laps, Daruvala with out the choice of DRS and a tyre drawback drove one in all his finest races of the season. With three laps to go, Daruvala needed to defend aggressively into the primary nook, each drivers have been aspect by aspect for a number of corners however Daruvala was not giving up regardless of his drawback. He held his nerve and positioned his Carlin automobile in precisely the precise locations, stopping Schumacher from getting forward.
Two laps earlier than the top of the race, Schumacher momentarily received forward of Daruvala, however the Indian was not going to permit that and he braked late, to get the place again. Daruvala’s glorious racing brought on Schumacher to make a few errors. This allowed Daruvala room to breathe. He continued his clever drive to extend the hole and crossed the road 0.894 seconds forward of Schumacher, to earn a rather well deserved third place. Brazilian Felipe Drugovich received the race forward of Callum Ilott.
Daruvala was the second runner-up within the FIA Method 3 Championship final 12 months. He earns his maiden FIA Method 2 podium, in his first season within the ultra-competitive championship, which has seen 15 different racers stand on the rostrum. Daruvala’s achievement can be the primary podium, by an Indian within the present iteration of the FIA Method 2 Championship.
