Abu Dhabi, Feb 5 (IANS): Jehan Daruvala climbed to the top of the 2021 Asian Formula 3 Championship standings by winning the second race and finishing second in the third race of the second round on Friday. Daruvala, racing for all-Indian outfit Mumbai Falcons, had earlier won the first race of the round as well.
The Mumbai resident had a near perfect launch from pole position and held his position into the first corner. Behind him, Isack Hadjar of France also held onto second, while championship leader Guanyu Zhou dropped a position to allow Dino Beganovic into third.
Daruvala, who started on pole in the second race, had a much more challenging Race 2 than he did on Thursday, even momentarily losing the lead in a three-car battle with Evans GP's Isack Hadjar and Abu Dhabi Racing's Dino Beganovic. However, a late breaking maneouvre helped Daruvala to surge ahead and stay on the track in the process. Jehan somehow managed to stay on track and held the lead. Jehan fended off more challenges from Hadjar to take the race.
Daruvala started the last race from third on the grid but quickly moved to second place and did well to hold on to the position. The championship format allows only two sets of tyres per round, to be used and Pinnacle Motorsport's Pierre-Louis Chovet was on a fresher set of tyres, while Daruvala and Hadjar were on an older set, and therefore unable to challenge Chovet, who comfortably won the race. The Mumbai Falcons' racer was second, ahead of Hadjar.
The victory meant that Daruvala displaced Guanyu Zhou from the top of the championship table.
"I was under a lot of pressure from behind, and was fighting hard to hold my position. Hadjar drove well and I really enjoyed the moment when we were three wide. It was an enjoyable battle and it is good that we were all able to race close and clean," said Daruvala.
Mumbai Falcons' second driver Kush Maini, however, continued his difficult run. He completed the second race in 11th place and the third in 17th. He had earlier finished the first race in 12th.