Mumbai-based Jehan Daruvala will be competing in the newly launched FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2019. The young racer has been signed by Italy's Team Prema and will be joining Marcus Armstrong as part of the team's three car line-up. Prema is yet to announce its third driver in the series. Mick Schumacher, son of legendary Michael Schumacher is also a part of the Prema Racing family. The new FIA F3 championship replaces GP3 as a Formula 3 support series starting next year. With F3, Daruvala ends his association with Carlin Motorsport in the European F3 championship.
Jehan competed in European F3 between 2017 and 2018 with Carlin and secured two victories and eight podium finishes. More recently, the 20-year-old participated in the final round of the 2018 GP3 series in Abu Dhabi in November this year. The participation helped the driver gain experience on Pirelli tyres that will also be used in the new F3 series.
Speaking on making his F3 debut, Jehan Daruvala said, "The new F3 series is going to be very exciting and a different experience for me. Driving on an F1 weekend, on Pirelli tyres and an expected grid of 30 drivers, is going to be fun and challenging. I am extremely excited and proud to begin this journey with Prema and I am confident that we can achieve great results together. I would like to thank Prema for having the confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this successful team."
Prema team principal Rene Rosin said "Jehan is definitely a promising prospect. We have known and respected each other for a while now and we are happy that all the dots finally connected to start what we expect to be a great relationship. He always impressed when he had the right chance in the past, and our goal will be to put him in the right position to express his full potential. We are confident that he will make great progress while providing us with valuable insight heading into the challenging season ahead."
After a successful stint in karting, Jehan made his racing debut in 2015 to Formula Renault and was a constant threat on track taking pole position and race victories. The driver also competed for two successful seasons in the Toyota Racing Series. In addition, Daruvala has been supported by tje Sahara Force India Academy as part of its young driver development programme. However, with the team now owned by the Lawrence Stroll-led consortium, it is likely that association will come to an end.
