Michael Schumacher’s son Mick and Nikita Mazepin are the latest drivers to graduate from the FIA Formula 2 Championship to Formula 1 next year. They were signed by the Haas Formula 1 Team.
Mick is leading the F2 championship standings and Mazepin is in third place.
This brings into focus what this development means for the only Indian who is racing at that level – Jehan Daruvala, who is in the Red Bull junior programme and the protege of the Force India F1 Team. He is currently 13th in the F2 driver standings, driving for the Carlin team. When is he going to get a shot in F1?
Mick’s debut in Formula 1 was not surprising at all. The famous surname may have contributed but only to a limited extent. He has shown strong performances in winning the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2018 and this year in Formula 2.
While Mazepin is talented, it was more about getting some cash into the team since the Russian’s father is a big businessman. It was the same case with Lance Stroll getting into the erstwhile Force India (now Racing Point) and there are many other examples.
Whether we like it or not, money talks in F1. Non-factory teams sometimes need the cash to run the team and that is why drivers bringing in sponsorship get the chance to jump in behind the wheel. You need more than talent to drive in F1.
In light of how things work in the cut-throat world of F1, what chance does Daruvala have to make it to the F1 grid?
One way is to perform. A top three finish in the F2 championship is a way of getting noticed. There is no doubt that Daruvala is talented. After all, he nearly won the Formula 3 Championship in 2019. If he manages a top three in F2 next year, there is a good chance that the F1 teams will take note of his talent and will consider giving him a seat, depending on availability.
If he does not finish in the top three in F2, he will have to raise a huge amount of money to realise his F1 dream.
The specific amount of funds required is difficult to declare because it depends on the team. However, imagine if he is in a situation in which he has to raise something like $20 million, or even half of that. It is going to be extremely tough.
Getting an Indian corporate to sponsor him is also an uphill task. If Force India was still around, things might have been different. Who knows?
If the Indian Grand Prix was still around, there might have been some interest among companies operating in India to think seriously about sponsoring a driver. Without any major international motorsport events in India, however, why would a company pump in money into a venture that will eat up funds without delvering anything much in terms of returns?
Assuming Daruvala will continue in F2 in 2021, a top-three finish is his best hope of making teams notice him. Let’s hope he does so that it will bring some cheer to Indian motorsport lovers.