MUMBAI: In a first for the F3 Asian Championship, a full-fledged team from India is competing with an all-Indian driver line-up to boot.
Mumbai Falcons, the team that swept almost all the titles in the inaugural (and short-lived) X1 League last year, will be led by F2 racer Jehan Daruvala, with British F3 runner-up Kush Maini alongside him.
Former F2 and GT1 racer Armaan Ebrahim is the team principal and eight-time National Champion Rayomand Banajee is strategy and communications head for Mumbai Falcons, in the is the series, which will be flagged off in Dubai on January 29.
The Asian F3 Championship is the continent’s most competitive racing event, with nine strong teams boasting of multiple F2 and F3 drivers.
Incidentally, MSport had fielded a team last year but had only one Indian driver in the lineup. The five-round 15-race season will conclude on February 20 in Abu Dhabi.
Daruvala, who is being hailed as the next big thing in Indian racing, is now just one step away from Formula 1.
His 26 rookie podiums in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship is a record. He had multiple wins and was second runner up in the 2019 FIA F3 Championship, after remaining in title contention till the last round. A few weeks ago, he became the first Indian to win an F2 race.
Maini is the youngest Indian to ever win an Asian Karting race and is a multiple Karting Champion and race winner across Formula categories.
Teams & Drivers confirmed for season 2021 as of 13 January
　 TEAM DRIVER 　
1 Mumbai Falcon Jehan DARUVALA 　
2 Mumbai Falcon Kush MAINI 　
3 Pinnacle Motorsport Alexandre BARDINON 　
4 Pinnacle Motorsport TBA 　
5 Pinnacle Motorsport TBA 　
6 Evans GP Irina SIDORKOVA 　
7 Evans GP Casper STEVENSON 　
8 Evans GP TBA
9 Evans GP TBA 　
10 BlackArts Racing Rafael VILLAGOMEZ 　
11 BlackArts Racing Zdenek CHOVANEC 　
12 BlackArts Racing TBA 　
13 BlackArts Racing TBA
14 Hitech Grand Prix Reece USHIJIMA 　
15 Hitech Grand Prix TBA 　
16 Hitech Grand Prix TBA 　
17 Motoscape TBA
18 Motoscape TBA
19 Abu Dhabi Racing UAE Amna Al QUBAISI
20 Abu Dhabi Racing UAE TBA
21 Abu Dhabi Racing UAE TBA
22 Hitech Asia TBA
23 Hitech Asia TBA
