For someone who used to be thrilled as a kid every time his father drove the family car a bit faster on the road, Jehan Daruvala has travelled miles to become the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race. And yet, Jehan would tell you that the race of his life has just started.

Driving for the Carlin team, Jehan, 22, triumphed in a thrilling Formula 2 race at the Sakhir Grand Prix onSunday. Among those who Jehan passed on his way to the chequered flag was Michael Schumacher’s son Mick, who is the Formula 2 champion this season and would be on the Formula 1 track next year for Haas.

Jehan’s season-ending standing is not that impressive, he finished 12th with 72 points. But there are reasons for that.

“It has been a season of two halves for me… I had a lot of trouble with the engine in the first half and I did not have good starts as well. But we had a new engine at the end of the Monza (Italy) race and since then I have consistently been in points. I went from being almost the worst on the grid to one of the best on the grid. That’s a big step,” Jehan told The Telegraph during a chat on Monday.

Ask him about his next target and the youngster replies loud and clear: “Formula 1.”

“In simple words, you need to achieve well in each category to move up. I was a title contender last year in Formula 3, moved up to Formula 2 this season. There have been a lot of positives in the second half of this season. And next year, if you are fighting at the front, if you are fighting for the podium, then you always have a chance to go into Formula 1. So that’s my target next year, to create an impression that I have the talent and the skill to drive Formula 1,” Jehan says with confidence.

The road to Formula 1 isn’t easy. In all these years, India has just had Narain Karthikeyan and Karum Chandhok who managed to make it toFormula 1. Surely, being talented is not enough, but Jehan knows that. “There are a lot of factors for someone to break into F1. Obviously, it’s a sport where money is crucial, but at the end of the day, if you are not talented, you cannot go to Formula 1. So it’s nice to have a bit of both.

“I am sure when you have the talent, when you do well in Formula 2, then there is no reason why you can’t go to F1. For me, that is the goal next year,” Jehan, who is a part of Red Bull’s junior team, said.

Talking of talent, Jehan saw Mick from close and the junior Schumacher has impressed him. “Everyone thinks it is easy because of his last name. But he is not going to Formula 1 because he is a Schumacher. At the end of the day, you must acknowledge that he has won the Formula 2 Championship… He deserves a seat in Formula 1 more than anyone. Because he won the Championship, whether he is a Mick Schumacher or Mick whatever, he would have always been on the radar of the F1 teams.”

Jehan knows he too his not far from his dream destination. “Every year is important in racing, more so in Formula 2, because you are just one step away from Formula 1. You have to focus on the present and the future will just follow.”

Life on the fast track has its share of risks as well, as was seen in Romain Grosjean’s case in Bahrain just a few days ago. Jehan, however, chooses to look at it differently. “That accident is probably the worst I have ever seen… It’s amazing how Romain got out of car.

As a driver, you can look at it two ways… It can scare you and it can also show you how far the sport has come in terms of safety.”

“But yes, it reminds us that racing is dangerous, which sometimes people do take for granted. As a driver, it’s a part of what we do, we kind of accept it. It’s harder for the family though, they get a bit more scared,” Jehan said.

As an Indian, Jehan’s success on the race track is perhaps even more remarkable. “It is a really proud moment for me every time I am on the podium and I get to hear the national anthem play. I want to prove to the people that even though we don’t have all the right facilities in India, if you work hard for your dreams, you can achieve them.”

One hopes that Formula 2 is just a pit stop for Jehan on way to his dream.

Track record

2009 Started karting

2015 5th Formula Renault Northern European Cup

2016 2nd Toyota Racing Series, New Zealand l4th Formula Renault Northern European Cup l9th Formula Renault Eurocup

2017 10th F3 Macau Grand Prix l1st New Zealand Grand Prix l5th Toyota Racing Series, New Zealand l6th FIA F3 European Championship

2018 12th F3 Macau Grand Prix l10th FIA F3 European Championship

2019 3rd FIA F3 Championship

2020 12th FIA F2 Championship l1st FIA F2 Sprint Race, Sakhir