Jehan Daruvala wrapped up the Formula 2 Saudi Arabia weekend with two back-to-back podium results. Driving for MP Motorsport, he bagged a pair of third place finishes in Jeddah and now stands fifth in the championship.
- Daruvala finished third in the sprint and feature races
- Kush Maini 12th in the feature race
- Vesti wins ahead of Doohan
Daruvala third in F2 Saudi Arabia feature race
Saudi Arabia has always been a strong venue for Daruvala; the 24-year-old had charged through the field to land on the podium last year as well. He maintained that strong form, finishing third in the sprint race.
After qualifying fifth, he started the main feature race from fourth on the grid, following Theo Pourchaire’s penalty for causing a crash in the sprint race. Daruvala and MP Motorsport opted for an early-pitstop strategy. From there on, it was all about managing pace and maintaining tyre wear.
Frederik Vesti crossed the line to become the fourth F2 race winner this year in as many races, ahead of Jack Doohan. Daruvala followed them in third place, rounding out the podium once again.
Kush Maini had a feature race to forget, finishing outside the points in 12th place.
2023 F2 championship standings
After a disappointing season-opener in Bahrain, Daruvala’s latest string of podium finishes give him a much-needed boost – in terms of points and confidence. “This was a really strong weekend for us and some much-needed results after the disappointment of Bahrain,” he commented.
“We were quick and consistent all throughout and we executed everything perfectly, which allowed us to capitalise on our potential. We can take a lot of confidence away from the Saudi round and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming races.”
He’s currently fifth in the championship with 24 points, just nine points behind leader Ralph Boschung. The next race on the calendar is the Australian GP to be held between March 31-April 2, with F2 heading to Melbourne’s Albert Park for the very first time.
2023 F2 Saudi Arabia Feature Race results
| 2023 F2 Saudi Arabia Feature Race results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos | Driver | Team |
| 1 | Frederik Vesti | Prema |
| 2 | Jack Doohan | Invicta Virtuosi Racing |
| 3 | Jehan Daruvala | MP Motorsport |
| 4 | Ayumu Iwasa | DAMS |
| 5 | Dennis Hauger | MP Motorsport |
| 6 | Richard Verschoor | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 7 | Enzo Fittipaldi | Carlin |
| 8 | Arthur Leclerc | DAMS |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Hitech |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Prema |
| 11 | Roy Nissany | PHM Racing by Charouz |
| 12 | Kush Maini | Campos Racing |
| 13 | Theo Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix |
| 14 | Roman Stanek | Trident |
| 15 | Jak Crawford | Hitech |
| 16 | Clement Novalak | Trident |
| 17 | Zane Maloney | Carlin |
| 18 | Juan Manuel Correa | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 19 | Ralph Boschung | Campos Racing |
| 20 | Amaury Cordeel | Invicta Virtuosi Racing |
| 21 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix |
| 22 | Brad Benavides | PHM Racing by Charouz |
Autocar India News Desk
Suraj Viswanathan
