Exclusive
Last F2 seat filled: MP Motorsport signs Jehan Daruvala for 2023
- GPblog.com
MP Motorsport has completed their line-up for the 2023 Formula 2 season. The reigning champions have secured Indian Jehan Daruvala (24) as their second driver alongside Norwegian Dennis Hauger. Both drivers competed for Prema last season.
For Daruvala, it will be his fourth season in F2. It is often heard that drivers who race in F2 for so long are not good enough for a step up. "Jehan has a lot of experience, he is a proven race winner," team manager Sander Dorsman told GPblog. "Sometimes I am surprised by the way people look at Jenah. His start last year was difficult. But in Monza, for example, he drove a fantastic feature race, resulting in a nice victory."
MP wants to emulate successes
With Daruvala and his teammate Hauger (who belongs to the Red Bull Junior Team), MP Motorsport hopes to emulate the successes of 2022. The experience the pair bring with them could be a decisive factor in this, Dorsman believes. "F2 is a difficult championship for rookies," said the team boss. Especially next season, there are many rookies competing in the class.
The entire top seven of the F3 championship moves to Formula 2 this year. "They are all very good drivers," said Dorsman. "It will be a very nice season, although it will be quite tough for those guys. We start the season at circuits where experience does count."
"Jeddah and Baku are separate circuits. For a rookie, the F2 calendar is quite difficult. You have three test days in Bahrain, and the other three test days are only just before Barcelona. So you have little opportunity to test and you go straight to a lot of circuits where it is quite difficult (racing)."