Daruvala completes successful Formula 1 test with McLaren

Mumbai: Young Indian racer Jehan Daruvala made a successful Formula 1 test debut this week with eight-time constructors' winner McLaren and is now eligible for a Super Lience.

The 23-year-old, who is aiming to become the third racer from India to race in Formula 1, drove the Woking-based team's 2021 race-winning challenger - the MCL35M - on Tuesday and Wednesday at Silverstone.

The test was Jehan's first taste of F1 machinery and he chalked up over 130 laps combined over the two days, over twice the distance F1 drivers will cover during next weekend's British Grand Prix.

The track time helped him earn enough points to apply for a Super Licence, which is needed to compete in Formula 1. Jehan, who ran trouble-free on both the days, currently races with Italian team Prema in the Formula 2 championship, the feeder series that sits one step below Formula 1, and is third in the overall standings.

"I really enjoyed my first time driving a Formula One car. I felt immediately at home and while it was physically more demanding than anything I have driven in the past, I didn't have any issues with my fitness," Jehan was quoted as saying in a media release on Friday.