India racer Jehan Daruvala’s Formula 1 aspirations received a massive shot in the arm, with Italy’s three-time F2 champion Prema Racing signing him up for the 2022 FIA Formula 2 championship.
The 23-year-old from Mumbai will also remain a part of the Red Bull Junior Team for the third successive year.
“I am thrilled to join hands with Prema once again,” Jehan said on Friday. “Charles (Leclerc) and Mick (Schumacher) clinched F2 titles for Prema Racing and went on to race in F1 the very next year.
“I hope to follow in their footsteps,” he added.
Jehan will also have a broader role with Red Bull this year. He will not only drive the team’s Formula 1 simulator at its base in Milton Keynes but will also undergo regular evaluations at the team’s fitness facilities in Austria, just like Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
During his earlier stint with Prema Racing in 2019, Jehan had finished third in the Formula 3 championship, after a season-long title battle with his teammates.
The series this year will feature 14 rounds and 28 races starting on March 18, 2022 in Bahrain with the season-finale set for November 20, 2022, in Abu Dhabi.