03 Jul 2012

The Sahara Force India F1 Team Academy in association with Mobil 1 was back in action last weekend for the latest round of the British Super 1 Karting Series in Larkhall, Scotland.

The highlight of the weekend was an opportunistic pole position by Jehan Daruvala for the first heat on Saturday afternoon as the 13-year-old demonstrated his speed and feel for the conditions. It was the first pole position of his young career to add to the podium he scored at the previous round.

Although Jehan, Arjun Maini and Tarun Reddy were out of luck during the Sunday finals, the weekend proved to be another valuable learning experience as the boys got to grips with a new circuit and the unpredictable weather conditions.

During the weekend, Sahara Force India Formula One driver, Paul Di Resta, was an interested spectator as he offered the Academy racers some friendly advice. It was at Larkhall that Paul began his motorsport career and he was keen to share his local knowledge with the boys.

The Academy will be racing again at the end of July at the GYG Karting circuit in North Wales for the fourth round of the British Championship.

Academy driver coach and mentor, Terry Fullerton said: “A busy weekend in Larkhall with the drivers having to cope with some very mixed weather. The high point was undoubtedly Jehan’s pole position on Saturday, showing his speed and opportunism on a drying track. When it came to the finals he was unlucky to be pushed off the track and also suffered with some mechanical issues. Arjun and Tarun showed flashes of speed, but unfortunately they were caught up in racing incidents and suffered in the finals. Arjun managed twelfth place in the second final, which was a good recovery drive.” 

Driver comments…

Jehan Daruvala: “I felt confident going into qualifying on Saturday and was very pleased to take pole position – my first one ever! The track was drying quickly so I tried to judge the conditions and set my best time right at the end of the session. For the first final on Sunday I was up to fourth place when I got taken out by another driver and dropped to the back of the pack. I managed to fight back to P15, but I had lost too much time early on. Overall I was happy with my performance and I now feel a lot more confident about racing in wet conditions.”

Tarun Reddy: “I enjoyed the weekend but unfortunately I didn’t get the results I had hoped for. The finals on Sunday did not work out for me, particularly the second one when another driver hit me and damaged my kart, so I had to retire. One of the best moments of the weekend was seeing Paul Di Resta and getting some advice from him. He was very successful in karts and meeting him was a big boost for all of us.”

Arjun Maini: “The weather conditions in Scotland were very challenging, but I think I was much better in the wet compared to the first round of the season. I didn’t maximise the qualifying session on Saturday, which hurt me for the rest of the weekend and I’ve learned that I need to make sure I find some clear space and avoid the traffic next time. In the races I had some good fights and I learned a lot, but I’m determined to be closer to the front at the next round.”

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