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"We had 20 drivers from over 11 countries participating for the New Zealand Grand Prix (NZGP). Having a lights to flag (the start of a race is indicated with lights and the end, with a flag) victory against such a competitive field was very satisfying,” exulted 18-year-old Jehan Daruvala who became the first Indian to win this prestigious event on February 12, 2017. "The first prize came with a cash reward and a Tissot watch,” but most important to Daruvala was the "honor to have my name on a trophy that has the names of so many racing greats like Keke Rosberg, Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Bruce Mclaren…” he conveyed to Parsiana.
Driving a Toyota Racing Series open wheel car at the 62nd NZGP at Circuit Chris Amon at Manfield, Daruvala completed the 35 laps or 106.16 km in 38 min 43.048 seconds, making it .855 seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Marcus Armstrong and 1.213 seconds before Australia’s Thomas Randle. During the three races over the weekend, Daruvala came second in the first race, seventh in the second race after his car was damaged due to contact with another driver, and first again in the third and main event of the weekend, the NZGP. As reported on the website, Overdrive, "Jehan started the race on pole, and managed to open up a gap to the chasing pack. Despite a red flag situation, Jehan kept his cool and managed to maintain his lead at the restart of the race.” He reportedly had the most number of podiums and pole positions in the 2017 Toyota Racing Series.  Besides the NZGP, the only other Grand Prix outside of Formula 1 (F1) is the one hosted in Macau.
Within a fortnight of his victory when Parsiana sought to contact Daruvala by email, he was already busy testing (practicing at smaller tracks) for his next major event, the European FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) F3 on the weekend of April 14 to 16, 2017. To our email queries he gave telephone responses that were conveyed to the magazine by his mother Kainaz: "After racing for two years in Formula Renault 2.0, I am now taking the step up to Formula 3. The European FIA F3 is considered to be one of the most competitive single seater championships. Nearly all the existing F1 drivers have been a part of this championship. Knowing the level of competition and the fact that most of the drivers are in their second or third year in this championship, my target would be to finish in the top five and try and win the Rookie (a first year player in a professional sport) title.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The racing season begins April onwards "so there is lots of traveling involved with races and mid-season testing in Europe and the UK,” says Jehan who resides and trains in the UK. It is in the winter months when there is no racing, that "one trains the hardest… On the physical side, I have a fitness coach who monitors all my nutrition and makes me train nearly every day. I also have a mind coach who I visit before each event. My driver coach is with me at all events ensuring that I’m pushing my limits,” the youngster appreciates the support of his mentors.
When giving a detailed report on Jehan’s performance at the NZGP, Rayomand Banajee of Rayo Racing wrote, "The Sahara Force India Academy racer has shown he is comfortable with the higher powered car.” Last year Jehan was declared vice champion of the Toyota Racing Series. In 2014 he emerged vice champion at the DKM German Karting Championship and third in the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship. In 2013 he was champion of the MSA Superone British Championship; in 2012 of the CIK-FIA Asia Pacific Championship; and in 2011 of ASK Yamaha Junior Championship (Malaysia). He had started showing his mettle since 2010 when he was announced champion at the JK Tyre Rookie and national champion at the FMSCI JK Tyre National Championship.
The only Parsi known to be in this ace league of motorsport, Jehan states, "While FIA and the organizers of various championships have put in a lot of effort to bring costs down, motorsport as a career is still very expensive. I’ve been fortunate to have the support required to be able to race.” He considers himself "immensely fortunate to have the support of my parents (father Khurshed is the managing director of Sterling and Wilson Private Limited and mother Kainaz is a homemaker) and family. To come so far in this sport would not have been possible without them. During my karting days when I was younger, my grandfather, the late Zarir Madan, would accompany me for training and travel abroad with me for my races. Mum and Dad have come to nearly every event I’ve raced and are always on the sidelines cheering me. My sister Delna (in her last year of Business Management Studies at H. R. College) too comes for my races when she’s not busy with her studies. Both my grandmothers, Zarine Daruvala (chairperson of Sterling and Wilson) and Pervin Madan (a homemaker), have seen me race. It’s always nice having family around to share the triumphs and disappointments…

 

 

 

"When I decided to pursue racing professionally, I didn’t realize the impact it would have on my life. I left home at the age of 13 to live at a boarding school in the UK as the facilities to race there were better. It was tough at first but it has made me independent and strong…As in the case of any sportsperson who pursues sport as a career from a young age, the challenge is to balance the training and the studying. After finishing my General Certificate of Secondary Education at a boarding school in the UK, I am now home schooling as it becomes nearly impossible to attend any college,” candidly states the teenager who enjoys studying accounts and mathematics.
When asked to comment on the sacrifices he has had to make to improve in his chosen sport, Jehan rues, "I have had to give up certain foods that I like to eat so that I can stay at my fittest. The biggest sacrifice is the family time that I’ve missed out on, being away. Even though my parents make sure that they are around as much as possible, I’ve seldom been home for birthdays, Navroz, etc.” A resident of Dadar Parsi Colony, Jehan says, "Being a Zoroastrian, I’ve been lucky to have grown up in a Parsi colony with friends whom I’ve known since I was crawling. The time I spend with them back home is something I look forward to as I get to unwind with them and this provides a welcome break in my otherwise hectic race schedule.” Undeterred by the rigors of racing, the philosophical youngster declares, "I wouldn’t change a thing as I believe that nothing in life comes easy. Coming closer to success is a step-by-step process and these are the things to be done along the way.”
The speedster mentions, "My ultimate goal, of course, is to make it to Formula One and take all the right steps along the way so that I’m competitive when I get there!” Content to be guided by the Zoroastrian tenets of good thoughts, words and deeds, and to sport an asho farohar on his helmet and car, Jehan says, "To be honest, I don’t pray before the start of a race… My mum prays before and for the duration of my entire race though!”