Force India youngster Daruvala to step up to F3

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Force India's academy driver Jehan Daruvala will make the step up to race in European F3 next season, joining Carlin for 2017.

Daruvala has been part of the Force India academy since being one of the winners of the teams 'One from a Billion' hunt for Indian drivers in 2011. Following a productive year in which he was runner-up to team-mate Lando Norris in the Toyota Racing Series and finished fourth in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup, Daruvala will now step up to F3 next season.

“We are delighted to support our Academy driver, Jehan, as he progresses to the next stage of his career," Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley said. "Ever since we identified his talent as a recruit in our ‘One From A Billion’ programme, he has continued to impress and delivered the results needed to progress up the motor racing ladder.

"Formula 3 is the next logical step and Carlin is a fantastic team with a track record of developing young talent. We look forward to seeing Jehan grow as a racer as he competes in this fiercely competitive championship.”

Daruvala himself is confident the move will suit him as he progresses to more sophisticated race machinery.

"My first two years in single seaters have been a fantastic learning experience," Daruvala said. "After finishing in the top five in the Formula Renault NEC in 2015 and 2016, and having finished second in the Toyota Racing Series this year, I am confident of stepping up to the highly competitive FIA F3 European Championship.

"I really enjoy driving the Formula 3 car, as I feel that the high downforce seems to suit my driving style. I am happy with how testing has been so far and I am really looking forward to my first season of Formula 3. It has been great working with Carlin, they are one of the best in the business. I must also thank Sahara Force India for all their vital support.”

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.