Maserati MSG Racing has signed the Indian racer Jehan Daruvala to compete in the upcoming Season of the FIA Formula E World Championship. Only the third Indian after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok to compete in a world championship, Daruvala will be the second Indian driver to race in Formula E after Chandhok. With Jehan joining Maximilian Gunther at Maserati, the two will be among the grid's youngest partners at ages 24 and 26, respectively. The tenth season of Formula E is scheduled to begin in January next year, with the inaugural race set to take place in Mexico City. With Tokyo being added to the schedule, the championship will witness the longest season in 2024. But it's still unclear whether the championship would make another stop at Hyderabad the following year. Moreover, Formula E has not yet revealed the location for Rounds 4 and 5, which will take place on February 10 and 24, respectively.
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Sharing his views on joining the Italian team, 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."
Maximilian Günther Welcomes Daruvala to Maserati
Commenting on the recent signing of his new partner, Maximilian Günther, remarked, "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."
Jehan Daruvala will make his professional racing debut next year, however, Günther has been on the grid for about five years now. The year 2018 saw the German racer promoted to a full-time position after joining Dragon Racing in Season 5 as a test and reserve driver. In 2019 he switched to BMW i Andretti Motorsport, then in 2022 he headed to Nissan e.dams. After joining Maserati in 2023, the driver went on to win two pole positions, four podium finishes, and the first world championship single-seater race victory for Maserati since 1957. Preseason testing will be conducted by Jehan and Max at Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo from October 23 to 27, 2023, as part of their training for the 2023-24 season.
Maserati Team Principal Comments
James Rossiter, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing, commented on the recent development saying, "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 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."
Jehan Daruvala's Career So Far
Jehan began his racing career in Formula 3 in 2019 and moved up to Formula 2 in 2020. Between 2020 and 2022, the driver achieved four race victories and 18 podium finishes in F2. Additionally, he took advantage of test opportunities to drive the 2021 McLaren Formula 1 challenger last year. As a reserve driver for Mahindra Racing in Season 9, Daruvala advanced to Formula E at the end of last year. He has now joined Maserati MSG Racing as a full-time driver after making two rookie test outings earlier this year with the Indian squad.
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