‘I’m world class racing driver – however gained profession in a single in a billion competitors’

Formula E star Jehan Daruvala actually is ‘one in a billion’ – as a result of he gained his profession in a contest with that identify.

Daruvala is the one rookie on this 12 months’s Formula E grid, having moved on from his F1 dream, the place he was a protege of the previous Force India crew.

In reality, he was plucked by Force India from hundreds of different younger drivers in his teenage years as they appeared to seek out the subsequent Indian motorsport celebrity.

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Aged simply 13 on the time, Daruvala was lucky to even be thought of, with entries solely open to these between 14 and 17. But after a rethink, Force India modified the principles of their ‘One in a Billion’ hunt, permitting two drivers out of the 100 finalists to be outdoors of the age vary.

“I was the fastest guy below the age of 14 and qualified by just one hundredth of a second,” Daruvala tells Daily Star Sport . “That was probably the biggest one hundredth of my life, it changed my career.

“Initially it was solely meant to be one from a billion, but it surely confirmed 100 finalists right down to 50, then 50 right down to 10, after which 10 of us went to England.

“We were judged by Anthony Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg and some other great people in motorsport and they felt they couldn’t shortlist one, so they picked three of us.

“We have been put to race within the British Karting Championship in juniors. It was straight into the deep finish for us, coming from India to a high-level championship and it was fairly cut-throat, as a result of by the tip of the 12 months, we have been advised solely one in all us will be capable to proceed.

“It was a season that I did well, I scored quite a few podiums and I was told that I was the one.

“They helped me so much, I used to be at all times driving for good groups in Europe, I had good coaches round me, so I at all times had good alternatives to show myself. It was an enormous deal again then and it was a privilege to be part of that programme.”

Daruvala went from strength-to-strength and made it to the cusp of Formula One on the back of his success.

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He was the team-mate of Lando Norris in his adolescence and would go on to drive within the F2 collection for 3 years, whereas additionally being a part of the Red Bull driver academy.

But with F1 locations at a premium, Daruvala knew that he would want to look elsewhere to increase his world championship potential. Now 25, he has been given his probability with the Maserati MSG crew in Formula E.

“Being part of the Red Bull junior team was such a big thing for me and it still is,” Daruvala says. “I had a good opportunity, fighting with a lot of good Red Bull juniors, all fighting for one seat.

“Everyone is aware of that Red Bull is a cut-throat setting. I had the chance and it did not work out to get to Formula One.

“Even now, it is very difficult to get to Formula One, so it is important to remember that there are more things outside of F1. You can be a successful racing driver outside of Formula One.

“At the tip of 2022 I knew that I’d not proceed with Red Bull. I used to be searching for a seat already in Formula E final 12 months, I used to be searching for a seat in IndyCar on the time, I used to be searching for seat in Super Formula, however I noticed my future in Formula E.

“I put into my mind that even if I won F2, I wouldn’t be going to F1, but I wanted to have a good year so I could get into Formula E.

“The degree of Formula E is tremendous, tremendous excessive. The competitor degree might be the very best of any championship and the groups are very excessive degree, so it should be an enormous expertise for me.”

Watch the Sao Paulo E-Prix stay on TNT Sports from 4pm on Saturday.