Jehan Daruvala wins at historic Monza, finishes the podium with victory around ‘Temple of Speed’

The
23-year-old
started
sixth
on
the
grid
but
used
a
mix
of
strategy,
race
craft
and
tyre
management
to
capitalise
on
a
safety
car
and
red
flag-interrupted
race
and
clinched
a
comfortable
win
around
the
hallowed
‘Temple
of
Speed’.

The
win
was
Jehan’s
first
this
season.
It
comes
after
the
Red
Bull-backed
racer
went
from
fifth
to
third
in
Saturday’s
Sprint
race,
making
it
two
podiums
from
two
races
for
Jehan
this
weekend
and
eight
this
year.

It
was
also
his
sixth
top-three
finish
at
Monza
and
second
win
at
the
track
after
the
Indian
won
there
last
year.

“What
a
weekend,”
said
Jehan.
“It’s
been
a
long
time
coming.
“We’ve
had
the
win
taken
away
from
us
for
one
reason
or
another
on
more
than
one
occasion
this
year.

“But
we’ve
kept
our
heads
down,
kept
believing,
kept
pushing
and
we’ve
finally
done
it.
And
what
a
venue
to
do
it
at
too!

“Monza
is
up
there
with
one
of
my
all-time
favourite
tracks
and
standing
on
the
top
step
of
this
incredible
podium,
out
over
the
main
square
with
the
Indian
national
anthem
playing
out,
feels
so,
so
special.”

Jehan
made
a
good
getaway,
but
starting
on
the
dirty
side
of
the
grid
got
bogged
down
after
the
initial
start.

Nevertheless,
he
kept
sixth
as
the
field
went
through
the
first
chicane
but
lost
a
place
to
Juri
Vips
as
he
lifted
in
anticipation
of
a
safety
car
after
an
opening-lap
shunt
involving
Ralph
Boschung
and
Theo
Pourchaire.

The
safety
car
wasn’t
deployed
until
later,
however,
and
Jehan
was
forced
to
defend
from
Jack
Doohan
on
the
run
to
the
second
Roggia
chicane.

The
pair
went
wheel-to-wheel
in
the
braking
zone
with
Logan
Sargeant
making
it
three-wide
into
the
chicane.
Doohan,
with
Jehan
on
the
inside
and
Sargeant
on
the
outside
had
nowhere
to
go
and
ended
up
colliding
with
Jehan.

The
Red
Bull-backed
racer
however
suffered
only
minor
damage
and
carried
on
as
the
safety
car
was
finally
deployed.

Racing
resumed
at
the
end
of
Lap
5
with
Jehan
running
seventh.
But
a
crash
for
Calan
Williams
at
the
Ascari
chicane
brought
the
safety
car
back
out
on
Lap
8.

Jehan
seized
the
opportunity
to
pit,
with
the
perfectly
timed
stop
eventually
moving
him
up
to
third
once
his
other
rivals
had
pitted.

That
left
him
perfectly
placed
to
battle
for
the
win
as
the
red
flag
was
deployed
to
allow
track
workers
to
clear
away
Williams’ stranded
Trident
and
carry
out
repairs
to
the
barriers.

The
race
resumed
after
a
ten-minute
stoppage.
Jehan
went
on
to
put
on
a
masterclass
of
tyre
management
and
race
craft
as
he
bided
his
time
at
first
before
piling
the
pressure
on
race
leader
Richard
Verschoor
and
second-placed
Marino
Sato.

He
passed
Sato
on
Lap
18
of
30
and
was
hot
on
Verschoor’s
heels.
But
the
Trident
racer,
struggling
with
tyre
wear,
dived
into
pits
with
just
five
laps
to
go,
handing
Jehan
a
lead
he
would
keep
until
the
chequered
flag.

“This
weekend’s
result
couldn’t
have
come
at
a
better
time
as
we
now
head
to
Abu
Dhabi
for
the
season-finale,”
added
Jehan.

“The
Yas
Marina
track
is
another
venue
I
like
and
I
won
there
last
year.
So
going
there
on
the
back
of
a
weekend
like
this
one
gives
us
a
major
boost.”

The
Formula
2
championship,
which
acts
as
a
support
series
for
Formula
One,
will
have
the
chance
for
a
bit
of
a
break
as
F1
embarks
on
its
Asian
and
American
swing.
The
championship
will
return
for
its
last
and
final
round
of
the
season
on
the
Nov.
18-20th
weekend
alongside
the
Formula
One
season-ending
Abu
Dhabi
Grand
Prix.