The story of the Indian driver Jehan Daruvala, who braved the unfriendly territory of motorsport, has always been one of fantasy to fans in India but with 2025 in motion, the story of him and his team has taken a twist that no one was ready to see coming. The 26-year old, once hoped as the next Indian to make it into Formula 1, is not competing in any competition this year. It is an unusual and bleak hiatus to an up-til-now relentless quest to grab the global front-running position of the single-seater racing circuit.

Considering that the driver has remained active all this time racing in Formula 3, Formula 2, and even venturing into Formula E with Maserati in 2023-24, the fact that Daruvala does not make an appearance in 2025 is telling. His later announcement that he was retiring earlier this year came as a shock to me as he had said he would be quitting the sport due to numerous conditions that deprived him of motivation. Such a news brought a few eyebrows since he had a close association with the motorsport story of India and his fan base consisted of the fans who had supported him since his days of Red Bull Junior Team.

Only two years ago, Daruvala was still hustling at the Formula 2 paddock, and did an average (but competent) run with MP Motorsport. He ended the 2023 season on a middle-level and although he did not excel, he was a respected participant, where he could be relied upon. When his next shift to Formula E seemed like a smart career decision. He made his debut as a reserve driver at Mahindra in the 2022 series and subsequently as full time racer at Maserati MSG Racing in the 202324 season, showing promise but failing to provide performances to cement his space. Eight points throughout the season were just not enough. Maserati walked away and Daruvala was left without a place since the start of the 202425 season.

Having no active racing commitments at all, and no public testing duties, he is further away than ever before in his Formula 1 future. This turns out to be especially tragic, in that as Daruvala is being shelved, an Indian driver, Kush Maini, is making himself be noticed. Maini landed the role of a development and reserve driver with the Alpine F1 Team, jumping in line of queuing Daruvala due to a rich F1 opportunity. Maini, aged 24 and having Formula 2 racing experience, is fast emerging as the more probable claimant to be the Indian torch bearer in Formula 1.

It is a mixed blessing to the Indian motorsport enthusiast. Daruvala was in the eyes of many the representation of the golden age of Indian racing internationally. His various podiums in Formula 2, his test sessions in a McLaren car last year, his time in Red Bull Juniors portrayed the image of a driver on the brink. Time and fortune are as important as talent in motorsport though. The fact that he has left the Red Bull scheme, that he has failed to finish in the front regularly in F2, that he has no sponsors to support his ambitions in F1 are all reasons behind the fact as presented today.

It should not be taken however that 2025 will mark the end of Daruvala story as a racer. Not every such sabbatical in this sport is a curtain call. Many other drivers have spent their time off and returned to be better equipped and more driven. He has gone on record that he would like to get back on the racetrack and represent India. It is yet to be determined whether that will be a step back in Formula E, endurance racing Formula 1 such as WEC, or even a tactical drop down into F2 or even Super Formula.

It is also interesting to look at the larger picture on India motorsports. Daruvala being out temporarily, illustrates on the one hand, how much the country has grown in churning out drivers who are at a world par, and on the other, how tenuous such progress still appears. The problem is infrastructure and funding. Daruvala himself frequently competed on merit, without the support of deep-pocketed sponsors which catapult countless competitors up through the categories. His success has been a story of talent and hard work which must be a lesson to upcoming racers in India that there is no use giving them up.

In such an industry where sight and chances can determine success or failure, the situation that Jehan is facing now is a chilling reminder of how motorsport is a dog eat dog career. The attention now is on how he reacts as the 2025 season set in motion whether he can be fading out of the grid in relative silence, or following up his comeback with recovered his position on both the international racing radar. No matter what the result will be, Jehan Daruvala has already left a mark in the history of racing in India.

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