Jehan Daruwala and the price of admission

In the footsteps of Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan, walks Jehan Daruvala, but a lot will have to fall in place for him to get further and become only the third Indian to ply his wares in the circus that is Formula One. Getty Images

In the winter of 2011, then-Sahara Force India owner Vijay Mallya wiped his sepia-toned sunglasses in a show of practised nonchalance as he was grilled by a horde of journalists on the purpose and validity of his ‘One In A Billion’ Formula One hunt.

As was the norm, he laughed off most questions. He would later reveal that he thought the queries ‘short-sighted and ill-informed’ because he had identified three of the finest drivers in India to inject them with his Formula One dream, and yet they were worried about the feasibility and the financials. “Silly,” he bellowed.

Jehan Daruvala (second runner-up in 'the hunt') stood uncomfortably by Mallya’s side. Often enough he was slapped on the back by the liquor baron and the 13-year-old's slight frame shook without signs of stopping. Arjun Maini, the winner of the contest, and Tarun Reddy (first runner-up) weren’t at the paddock on the day.

Daruvala, unlike the other two, wasn’t used to the spotlight, and if it wasn’t for the leaflet which spoke of his victories at the time and his closeness to staff, you would think he had lost his way.

Thankfully, everyone had places to be as the Buddh International Circuit was gearing up for the inaugural edition of the Indian Grand Prix. The Mumbai lad’s rehearsed answers were delivered hastily before he ducked into the team building. Curled on a chair and in the security of glass walls, he stared out at the circus, conflicted by the chaos. He knew then the price he would have to pay for his dream. Daruvala has since signed several dotted lines.

“To get Karun (Chandhok) a drive, we had to mortgage our house to fund it. If I remember right, we needed around eight million euros for a season,” reveals Vicky, Karun’s father and a renowned name in the motorsport fraternity. “Surely, it’s more now, but I don’t think Jehan will have such issues because he has solid financial backing. Also being a Red Bull Junior Academy driver has its advantages.”

Vicky continues: “Going from F2 to F1 is definitely about skill and overall talent, but it’s also about the finances. That’s such a big factor.”

The now 22-year-old Daruvala - scraggly beard and all - is one good Formula Two season away from making his dream, and Mallya’s "vision", come true. But there’s a reason why India has produced only two Formula One drivers to date. And the answer isn’t lack of talent. Well, not entirely at least.

On the shoulders of pioneers such as Karivardhan, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok stood - albeit shakily - to make it to the promised land. Karthikeyan’s moment came in 2005 with Jordan and Karun’s in 2010 with HRT Racing. The former returned in 2011 for a two-year stint with HRT, and Karun drove one race in his second year (for Team Lotus) in 2011.

In all, only 59 races have witnessed an Indian on the Formula One starting grid. When the dust of the three Indian GPs settled, a sense of never-again descended. The pall of gloom was briefly lifted when Arjun Maini’s career was on the upswing, but over time that too plateaued.

Daruvala, meanwhile, remained under the radar despite consistency in Formula Three. When he did make it to Formula Two with Carlin Motorsport last season, little was expected of him, not in the least a race win. As spectacular as the victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix is, it doesn’t guarantee the next step, which according to Karun is the hardest one yet.

“The final step on the ladder is the hardest to make,” says Karun. “It’s reliant on so many outside factors. There needs to be a vacancy and you need to be at the right place at the right time. But if he has a good season next year, he can’t be ignored.”

Karthikeyan says: "If he retains support for the next season, he will have to perform very well. He won't be rookie so he will have to clean up on the shortcomings of this season and be much better to have a shot."

Karun then reveals a rarely-highlighted factor: “He will have to keep making sure he’s banging on the doors of the F1 people. I don’t mean by being consistent on the track. That’s a prerequisite, but you also need to market yourself, and how. They need to know he’s there. Be on their radar. You need to beat the drum a little bit. That’s something that he has to do. You have to make things happen for you. Things don’t just happen in Formula One. Skill is surely not everything.”

Then there’s the handling of the pressure. “In F2, the teams are small, usually like 20 people, but in F1 there are 500 to 1000 people in each team. You have to deal with people across so many departments and he (Jehan) would never have encountered that. Then there is the pressure from media, fans, public, sponsors, team. Level of pressure in F1 is so much higher. It usually breaks people,” warns Karun.

Karthikeyan seconds it with a hint of humour: "Being with Red Bull always gives you hope, not necessarily wings."

Daruvala, too, insists pressure will be a factor but maintains that he is groomed for the role. “Being part of the Red Bull programme prepares you for such pressures. I understand that being with Red Bull has its own pressures because I am expected to deliver every time, but I have done this for almost a decade now. I’m used to it.”

As racing drivers often do, Daruvala attempted to play down the potential pitfalls of the transition by getting technical. “I have spoken to quite a few of them who made the switch from F2 to F1 and they all say the car is a lot faster and there’s more downforce,” he says. “Once you get used to the G-forces, braking forces and cornering forces, the car is a little bit easier to drive. It, apparently, doesn’t move around as much as a Formula 2 car. Also, there’s power steering so that helps.”

He isn’t naive, though. “I’m sure it’s hard. There’s a reason why so few people get to drive in F1. More importantly, why only so few stay in F1. Talent, ability to give feedback, finances, mental fortitude, ability to persevere and some luck. A lot needs to fall in place. But my job as a driver is to drive and drive well. Everything else… who knows.”

Well, there you have it.