Dubai, Jan 29 (IANS): Mumbai Falcons are all set to begin their maiden campaign in the Formula 3 Asian Championship on Friday, with India's top racers Jehan Daruvala and Kush Maini in the cockpit.

After unveiling the team's livery on Thursday, which incorporates the colours of the Indian national flag, Daruvala and Maini expressed their delight at being pitted against a world-class field in the continent's premier single-seater championship.

"We have prepared very well for this and are thrilled about the way the cars have turned out. We are particularly excited about racing for an Indian team and are looking forward to the challenge," said Daruvala, who won Bahrain Grand Prix in Formula 2 last season.

"We raced against each other as kids in karting and now, after 12 years, we are racing as teammates. It's amazing. We are going to make India proud," Kush Maini, runner-up in the BRDC F3 Championship, said.

Daruvala and Maini will have their task cut, though, with a number of talented young racers, most of whom have links with F1 teams, in the fray. They include big names like Dino Beganovic (Swedish-born) of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Guanyu Zhou (China) and Williams Junior Roy Nissany (French-born) of Renault F1's Junior drivers and Ayumu Iwasa (Japan) Red Bull's Juniors.

Round 1 will take place at the Dubai Autodrome and will see 23 racers from 17 different nationalities competing for honours. Mumbai Falcons, incidentally, will become the first full-fledged 2-car all-Indian Team to compete in it.