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Category: Indians Abroad
News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad
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Arjun Maini delivers at Nurburgring to get 8 points: DTM
Nurburgring (Germany), 22 August 2021: Mercedes-AMG driver Arjun Maini finally got his DTM Championship going finishing both the races in points here on Saturday and Sunday. Starting on P12, Maini finished Race 1 in 10th to bag two points while he got 6 points in Race 2 after starting on P14 and finishing 13th.
Race 2 was won by Alex Albon of Alphatauri AF Corse while Kelvin van der Linde, the Championship leader at the half-way stage won Race 1.
Arjun Maini who clocked 1:27.996 in FP 1 after a very useful 27 laps was less than half a second off the pace of the fastest man Vincent Abri who clocked 1:27.480. In FP2, Maini did another 27 laps to better understand the circuit and the car and was again upto pace posting his best time of 1:27.620 which is just off 0.419 off the top car. He clocked 1:28.224 in Race 1 and was +52.788 after one pit stop in Race 2 (1:28.472).
A delighted Maini said: “I’m ecstatic with how the weekend went and it is nice to be back in points and I hope to steer clear and look forward to the second-half of the season.” After four rounds, Arjun Maini is in 15th place in the overall standings with 8 points ahead of Timo Glock of Rowe Racing.
The Bengaluru racing ace marked yet another milestone to become the first Indian to score points in the DTM Championship. Maini showed tremendous maturity by finishing 10th and a career-best seventh at the two races held at the legendary race circuit. After enduring a series of unfortunate incidents, the Mercedes-AMG star finally had a race weekend devoid of any on-track misfortune and he delivered a steady and measured drive to get valuable points.
Arjun Maini at Nurburgring on Sunday. Racing for the GetSpeed team, Maini struggled to put an Ideal lap manage P12 for Race 1 grid. The Indian made a tremendous getaway, making a few places, as the cars made their way around the first lap. However, an incident involving fellow Mercedes star Max Bukh brought out the Safety Car, which meant that the Indian had it to do all again. The restart saw Maini make up yet more positions with the Indian establishing himself in the top 10.
Unfortunately, tyre wear issues hampered Maini’s progress and he was forced to nurse his car home to a 10th place race finish.
A wet Qualifying 2 session saw Maini take P14 as he was piloting his GT3 racecar for the first time in wet-weather conditions. Despite his best efforts, Maini failed to qualify inside the top 10 and had a mountain to climb during the second race but managed to get into points again..
The race ultimately proved to be a chaotic as it saw nine cars retire. it was a shrewd call from Maini’s GetSpeed racing team that proved to make the difference as an early and well-executed pit-stop saw Maini make up a host of positions over the duration of the race and eventually claim his best result in the gruelling German race series.
“It’s been a long timing coming and I’m happy to have finally scored my first points in DTM. Obviously, a lot of credit has to go to the team at GetSpeed, I think our pit-stop was the second-fastest of the weekend and if it wasn’t for their tireless effort, this result would not have been possible,” said Maini who is backed by Omega Seiki Mobility and JK.Tyre.
“In fact, I think sixth was a definite possibility. There was the incident with Mike Rockenfeller, that cost us a lot of time and by the end of the race, I was gaining on Lucas Auer who finished only a second ahead of me.
“Nonetheless I look forward to the next round at the Red Bull Ring and I hope this weekend proves to be an inflection point for the rest of the season.”
Arjun Maini, who shifted focus to endurance racing told this writer earlier that his love and passion for this long-format has been increasing by the day and he is really caught the endurance bug. “F1 is not my target anymore. I enjoy taking part in Endurance races and look forward to making it to the Le Mans.”
He started his DTM career with the first round in Monza where he finished 13th in Race 1 and 18th in Race 2. In Round 2 at lausitzring, he finished 14th after a good qualifying stint which put him on P6 but he suffered mechanical issues. In Race 2, he finished 12th starting from P9. The third at Circuit Zolder saw Arjun Maini suffer misfortune which was not in his hands as he had his first DNC after P15 in qualification and the car was so badly damaged and could not be readied for Race 2. And it took Round 4 in Nurburgring here to bring him back to racing and he delivered with points.
The next 2 races will be September 4 to 5 at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Race 2 report:
Arjun Maini finished Race 2 in 13th after a penalty. Earlier, Alex Albon scored his maiden victory in DTM at the Nürburgring, the second win for Ferrari in history of the series. In an action-packed race, the Thai driver, who had started from pole position, stayed away from all the incidents and won in dominant fashion. Red Bull’s replacement Formula 1 driver is the sixth winner from eight DTM races held so far this season. In dry, good weather conditions, Spaniard Daniel Juncadella with the Mercedes-AMG of the GruppeM team and two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann with the Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW rounded out the podium.
After eight of 16 races, Kelvin van der Linde of the ABT Sportsline Audi team is the unofficial ‘half-time champion’ of the 2021 DTM, although, on Sunday, the South African failed to score points for the first time this year after a collision with Liam Lawson and Mike Rockenfeller in the chicane. With 129 points, Kelvin van der Linde is starting the second half of the season as the leader in the drivers’ standings. His margin over Maximilian Götz (96) decreased to 33 points. Third in the standings is now Wittmann (94), Albon (82) has moved up to fourth place.
Porsche, meanwhile, had bad luck during its DTM début. Like on Saturday, Michael Ammermüller didn’t make it to the finish with the 911 run by SSR Performance, but had clearly shown the potential with fourth place on the starting grid. 19-year-old Belgian Esteban Muth scored the best result of the season for Lamborghini so far with fifth place. Ex-Formula 1 driver Timo Glock finally scored his first championship points of the season with the ROWE Racing BMW.
“Today, that was a really good day for my team and for myself,” Albon said after becoming the first DTM race winner from Thailand. “The team has been working hard overnight and that paid off. Today, we have made a step forward, we want to carry over this momentum.” The Red Bull Ferrari combination by AF Corse is the first team to have won races with both its drivers, Albon and Lawson, this year.
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Arjun Maini forced out after a stellar start: DTM series
Zolder (Belgium), 9 August 2021: Mercedes-AMG DTM driver Arjun Maini had to end his weekend at the Zolder race circuit prematurely after suffering a damaged chassis through no fault of his own.
Maini, who is backed by Omega Seiki and J.K.Tyre, made a stellar start during the first race of the weekend in Belgium. The 23-year-old overtook four cars, moving up to 11th before ultimately becoming a victim of circumstance as the pack made their way into Turn 5.
The DTM rookie, who at the time was locked in a battle with title protagonist Liam Lawson, as well as experienced campaigner Daniel Juncadella, was battling for 10th place before Juncadella made an uncharacteristic error, missing his braking point and hitting Arjun from the rear .The cascading result meant that both Maini and Lawson were taken out too, with ensuing carnage forcing all three drivers to retire before they could complete a single lap.
To rub salt into Maini’s wounds the damage sustained to his chassis was deemed so severe that the Indian had to miss the second race of the weekend entirely. Despite Juncadella’s public apology, the Mercedes-AMG driver was left bitterly disappointed after suffering yet another DNF.
“I’m obviously very disappointed by the end result as it means my weekend ended before even it started,” a palpably upset Maini stated.
“I made a great start and was able to make my way up to 11th, if it wasn’t for the incident, I’m sure I could have scored my first points of the season as I clearly had momentum on my side.
“Fair play to Daniel Juncadella for apologizing both privately and publicly. We all make errors at some point and it was unfortunate that I was caught up in an incident that had very little to do with me.
“There really isn’t much else to say and I’m looking forward to racing at the Nürburgring.”
Maini’s debut in DTM has proved to be anything but smooth. The Indian driver has shown flashes of pace but has simultaneously had a large helping of bad luck thrown his way during the races so far.
The latest incident has to hurt the most as the Mercedes-AMG driver will leave Belgium without even having completed a lap of racing. However, with more than half a season of racing to go, Maini is more than capable of securing a few strong results to round out his championship.
The next race of the 2021 season is scheduled to take place at the legendary Nürburgring circuit in Germany on August 20-22.
Note: Updated 14 Aug 2021
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Akhil Rabindra-Conde finish P11 in Silver Category in Race 1
Spa Francorchamps, 1 August, 2021: Akhil Rabindra, the only Indian on the European GT4 Championship grid, racing for AGS Events Racing Team, finished P11 in the Silver category in Race 1 along with his team mate Hugo Conde in an incident laden round four of the championship in Belgium on Saturday evening at the iconic Circuit de Spa Francorchamps which also hosts the much-awaited Belgian Grand Prix .
The Indo-French duo driving the Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4 for AGS Events Racing Team had earlier finished at P13 & P12 in the Silver category at the Qualifying race 1 & 2 respectively. Akhil took to the steering wheel after the pit stop in Race 1 of the fourth round of the European GT4 Championship made an impressive run to finish P11 in the Silver category and an overall P23 from a grid of 37 cars. Akhil while being on the driver’s seat completed 21 laps in 1:02:22.434 minutes.
Circuit Spa is known for inconsistent weather and the rain started with the formation lap which caused a lot of splashes and caused visual disruptions for the drivers on the grid. Akhil started the Race 2 and Hugo who took over the driver’s seat after the pit stop but with just few minutes to go for the final lap the damper broke and the duo finished the race at P14 at Silver cup category and completed 19 laps at 57:09.649 minutes and overall P36.
Akhil Rabindra commented, “We could have done much better and are definitely not happy with our performance. The rain made it difficult it impacted the speed and also the technical glitch at the end of the race which was unexpected. We will have to keep working on our performance and keep improving to ensure that in future such indirect and unforeseen hurdles do not impact our positions drastically.”
Round 4 of the European GT4 Series saw #22 Allied Racing Porsche’s victory in Silver Cup, #42 Sainteloc Racing Audi in Pro-am and #12 BMW in the AM Cup claiming the top honors. The European GT4 Series now moves to Circuit Nürburgring, Germany for round five of the Championship from September 3rd -5th , 2021. The race can be watched LIVE on the YouTube Page of European GT4 Series.
About European GT4 Championship:
The GT4 European Series is a sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived from the FIA GT Championship which utilized the GT1 and GT2 classes.
GT4 class cars are mostly what can be referred to as track day cars, which are factory-built race cars available to the public. However, custom-built cars based on production models can also be built by teams. All cars are test driven by the FIA and then modified so that they all have near identical performance levels. Once a car has been approved by the FIA, it cannot be modified by the teams, eliminating continual development costs for constructors. All cars run on regulated Pirelli tires to further equalize performance.
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Arjun Maini shows speed but forced to retire in Race 1: DTM
Lausitz (Germany), 25 July 2021: Mercedes-AMG racing star Arjun Maini made significant progress during the second weekend of the 2021 DTM season with the Indian topping Free Practice 1 and qualifying sixth for the first race before ultimately retiring due to damage sustained from a racing incident.
The Omega Seiki Mobility and J.K.Tyre backed driver made the most of his knowledge of the Lausitzring circuit, placing his Mercedes AMG GT3 race car in first and fourth during the two practice sessions on Friday before qualifying sixth for Race 1. While this represented a marked improvement from his weekend at Monza, the Bangalore-based driver had to take his place at the rolling start on the outside, meaning he had faced a distinct disadvantage heading into Turn 1.
The competitive nature of the DTM championship meant there was an intense battle for position at the start with Maini sandwiched between two drivers with his Mercedes being forced off the race circuit going into Turn 3. The Indian and his GetSpeed racing team had a mountain to climb and while their efforts did yield some success, Maini’s race was once again curtailed with the team having to retire him with ten minutes to go as they were worried about damage sustained to his brakes and potential engine issues after the incident on the first lap.
Sunday was just as eventful, with the Mercedes-AMG driver showing his speed once again. The Indian missed out on a potential front-row start after a mistake in sector three lost him valuable time, meaning he had to contend with a ninth place on the starting grid for Race 2. The former Le Mans’ driver spent a large chunk of the race battling Red Bull F1 reserve driver Alex Albon, with their intense squabble hampering both drivers and costing Maini his shot at scoring his first points in the series.
Speaking about the weekend Maini stated, “Despite the final result, I’m reasonably happy with how the weekend progressed. I think it’s important to remember that there are some very experienced drivers on this grid and racing wheel to wheel with them is both challenging and exciting.
“While we ultimately failed to score our first points of the season, I definitely feel like this weekend was a huge step-forward over Monza. My objective is to keep improving and hopefully, both the team and I can get our first points at next round in Zolder.”
With the likes of Timo Glock, Marco Wittmann, and Mike Rockenfeller now racing bumper to bumper with Maini, the Indian certainly has his work cut out for him. However, based on current pace and growing experience with just 4 races under his belt it is safe to say that a good result is just around the corner for the Mercedes-AMG man.
The third round of the 2021 DTM championship will take place on the weekend between August 6-8th at the Zolderrace circuit in Belgium.
Note: Updated on 26th July 2021 at 8pm
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Arjun Maini hoping to build on his experience before DTM Round 2
Lausitz (Germany), 23 July 2021: Mercedes AMG racing driver Arjun Maini is looking to secure his first points of the season as the DTM visits the popular Lausitzring track for the second round of the 2021 championship.
The Omega Seiki Mobility and J.K.Tyre backed driver had a baptism of fire, having had limited testing in the lead up to the first race of the season and a DNF ultimately ending his weekend prematurely. Nevertheless, Maini gained valuable experience over the course of the race weekend, and with his GT debut now firmly in the rearview mirror, the Indian will be looking to build on his experience as looks to secure his first points of the season.
Speaking about this weekend’s event Maini stated, “I’m looking forward to this race. The track is going to be interesting because going into Turn 1 we will be using the oval banking while the rest of the track remains the standard GP layout.
“The set-up will be key as everyone will have to compromise somewhere, though I am confident the boys at GetSpeed will be able to work around any constraints. Obviously pre-season testing here went well for me, however, with the new layout, which is challenging for everyone, it will be interesting to see how the weekend progresses.
“As always I’d like to thank my partners OSM, J.K.Tyre and Mercedes AMG who are all playing a crucial role in helping me build my experience in the DTM, as the days progress I am feeling more confident in the Mercedes AMG GT3 race car and I am confident that a strong result is right around the corner.”
As touched on by Maini, the Lausitzring track is famous for its banked turn 1, which is reminiscent of the final turn at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The weekend is set to get underway this Friday, July 23, with the qualifying and races themselves taking place on Saturday, July 24, and Sunday, July 25.
The sessions will be broadcasted live in India on https://www.youtube.com/user/autocarindia1.Saturday
Qualifying1: 14:00
Race 1: 17:00
Sunday
Qualifying 2: 13:40
Race 2: 17:00 -
Piastri takes maiden pole; Jehan Daruvala P12: F2
Silverstone, 16 July 2021: Oscar Piastri became the fourth different polesitter in as many rounds with a dominant performance at Silverstone, setting the fastest lap of the session in the first stint, before a Robert Shwartzman crash brought out a Red Flag and ended Qualifying prematurely.
Indian racing ace Jehan Daruvala could only qualify P12 due to the Red Flag situation but is looking to do better in the races. “P12 is not my best out there today. I will keep working hard to make sure we can do better tomorrow, the Carlin team Red Bull junior said on twitter after the race.
Championship leader Guanyu Zhou snuck into second with a late lap, but was 0.221s off Piastri’s poletime of 1:39.854. MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor scored his best Qualifying position with third, just over four-tenths off the leader.
Christian Lundgaard escorted the field out onto a hot and sunny Silverstone circuit, with a track temperature of 42 degrees. Lapping at 1:40.962, Felipe Drugovich led the first round of fast runs, beating Dan Ticktum’s Free Practice topping time by more than a second.
There was enough life left in the medium Pirellis for another flyer and Piastri was determined to make the most of it, lunging to first with 1:39.854. Meanwhile, Drugovich was bumped down to third by Ticktum, although the Carlin driver remained half a second off Piastri.
After a stint in the pits for fresh rubber, the field returned to the track with just a second separating the top 12. Piastri couldn’t make any improvements on his quickest time, but neither could his rivals, with the Australian retaining his half a second buffer in first.
Zhou was left thanking his lucky stars as the UNI-Virtuosi racer crossed the line just moments before a Red Flag ended the session. And it was a significant improvement too, with the Chinese racer leaping from 10th to second in the order, thanks to a purple first sector and a personal best second sector.
The session-ending Red Flag came when Shwarztman spun and beached his PREMA in the gravel at Stowe with just two minutes to go. Although, the Russian could consolidate himself with a solid finishing position of P7.
Like Zhou, Verschoor had also managed to beat the Red Flag and nabbed himself a top-three spot, setting 1:40.259s to drop Ticktum down to P4.
Théo Pourchaire completed the top five for ART Grand Prix, ahead of early pacesetter Felipe Drugovich. Roy Nissany scored eighth for DAMS, as Jüri Vips and Lundgaard completed the top 10.
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Advait Deodhar takes another well-deserved podium: EuroNASCAR2
Brands Hatch (Kent, England), 4 July 2021: Ace Indian racer Advait Deodhar of CAAL Racing notched up another well-deserved podium taking a third place in EuroNASCAR2 Race 2 (Round 4) at the 1.94 kilometre Indy Circuit on Sunday. Tobias Dauenhauer scored his first win of the season and took the points lead from his teammate Martin Doubek.
You can watch Sunday’s Round 4 race here on Auto Track You Tube.
The 31-year old, Deodhar, in a #56 Ford Mustang, created history at the Saturday’s American SpeedFest 8 by taking a stunning victory in Race 1 of Round 3 as he became the first Indian pole sitter and race winner in the EuroNASCAR series.
The London-based Mumbaikar’s victory proved to be a historic one in many ways. His victory is not only a first for an Indian driver in the Euro Series but his win also stopped the 12-race win streak that Hendriks Motorsport in the EuroNASCAR 2 division which is the longest streak of the most consecutive wins for any team in Euro Series so far.
Race Report: Dauenhauer made a great start on the outside from second and got past poleman Deodhar at Paddock Hill Bend. The 23-year-old pulled away from his chasers and sped to victory after 30 laps under green. It was the first win of the season for the driver of the #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang, who was handed the red Whelen banner for being the Championship leader.
Deodhar, who lost the lead at the start, put up a stubborn defence against DF1 Racing’s Simon Pilate. The Belgian started from third and tried several times to get past Deodhar for second and managed to overtake on lap 27 for his best EuroNASCAR 2 result so far. Deodhar, the first Indian to win a EuroNASCAR race had to settle in third after a solid performance at the wheel of his #56 CAAL Racing machine in the 30-lap race. The Indian is supported by TJB SuperYachts and Strange Brew.
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Advait Deodhar becomes first Indian to win a EuroNASCAR race: NWES
Brands Hatch, 3 July 2021: Advait Deodhar created history by becoming the first Indian to not only take pole position but win a EuroNASCAR race at the Indy Circuit on Saturday.
He held off Tobias Dauenhauer to win Race 1 of Round 3 of NASCAR2 Whelen Euro Series at Brands Hatch on Saturday.
The 2018 European NASCAR Elite Club champion, Deodhar of CAAL Racing, in a #56 Ford Mustang, led from start to finish, surviving a caution restart to win his first-ever EuroNASCAR career race. He also claimed the fastest lap with Tobi Dauenhauer second and the shadow of Francesco Garisto in third in the first race of the Round 3. The London-based Indian is supported by TJB SuperYachts and Strange Brew.
You can watch the race video at YouTube Auto Track here.
Race Report by BY ANDRÉ WIEGOLD
Advait Deodhar (centre) on the top of the podium. Credits: NASCAR WES/ Stephane Azemard Advait Deodhar made a lifetime dream come true at his home track of Brands Hatch, UK. The Indian living in London grabbed the maiden win of his NASCAR Whelen Euro Series career at the 1.94 kilometer Indy Circuit. Deodhar led all 30 laps and defended his lead against a charging Tobias Dauenhauer, who ended up second at the wheel of the #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang, reported euronascar.com
Starting from the pole for his 21st EuroNASCAR 2 race which began on dry conditions, Deodhar successfully held on to the lead on the start and kept Dauenhauer at bay in the first few laps despite all the attempts the German made. The race was halted not too long after, however, as contact between Hollamby and Leevi Lintukanto sent the No. 23 Barot’s Camaro in the gravel trap at Paddock Hill, ending the Finn’s race early.
After a lengthy Safety Car period, the race was restarted with Deodhar successfully managing to keep the lead once again. Deodhar was pressured by Dauenhauer throughout the race, but the 31-year old Indian driver showcased his experience by putting a masterclass in a defensive race, keeping the German at bay and skillfully getting past the lapped cars on his way to score his first career victory in the EuroNASCAR 2 division, crossing the finish line 0.433 ahead of Dauenhauer.
“I will never forget this moment in my life”, said Deodhar, who posted the fastest lap and thus also secured pole for the race on Sunday. “I need to pinch myself because I cannot believe I have won. It was a tough race with Tobias at my back bumper during all laps of this round. Thanks to CAAL Racing for giving me an awesome car. It was only the second win of my life and it’s something very special to score one here at Brands Hatch.”
Starting from fifth place, Francesco Garisto was on a mission in EuroNASCAR 2 Round 3 at the wheel of the #17 42 Racing Shadow DNM8. The Italian overtook his fellow countryman Alberto Panebianco and settled down in third. He crossed the finish line on that position but was demoted back to seventh after a post-race penalty for an avoidable collision with Panebianco.
Simon Pilate inherited third place with a strong run after a safety car period that was triggered by Levi Lintukanto on lap 3. The Finn got stuck in the gravel of Paddock Hill Bent and the caution was necessary to clear the turn. Green flags waved again on lap 11 and Pilate powered his way up to fourth after passing his DF1 Racing teammate Justin Kunz and Not Only Motorsport’s Panebianco.
Deodhar gets maiden pole before the rain
Earlier, Advait Deodhar scored his first ever NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Pole Position at Brands Hatch on Saturday. The Indian, who’s living in London, clocked a 49.918-lap and beat Tobias Dauenhauer by 0.192 seconds. Deodhar had some help from the skies as rain started to fall right around the half-time of the 30-minute session. NWES rookie Miguel Gomes spun with his slick tires and triggered a short red flag period.
As the session resumed, the track prevented teams and drivers from driving faster laps so a lot of V8 engines stayed quiet until the end. Only Michael Bleekemolen and Yevgen Sokolovskiy tried out their cars on wet tires. DF1 Racing’s Justin Kunz was third quickest ahead of the impressive EuroNASCAR 2 rookie Alberto Panebianco at the wheel of the #89 Not Only Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro. The Italian also topped the Rookie Trophy standings.
Advait Deodhar on way to his pole on Saturday. Photo by Stephane Azemard 42 Racing’s Fracesco Garisto completed the top-5 with a 0.594-gap from the pole setter. Valencia double winner Martin Doubek followed in sixth ahead of Max Lanza and Simon Pilate. Pierluigi Veronesi and Sokolovskiy, who led the Legend Trophy standings, closed the top-10. Alina Loibnegger beat Arianna Casoli in the battle for the best starting position in the Lady Trophy.
The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will be back in action on Sunday for Rounds 4 of the 2021 season. The NASCAR GP UK will continue at 1:43 pm CET with the EuroNASCAR PRO race, while the EuroNASCAR 2 race will follow at 4:58 pm CET. All races will be broadcasted live on EuroNASCAR’s social media platforms – YouTube, Facebook, Twitch – and Motorsport.tv.
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Arjun Maini becomes first Indian to race in DTM GT3
Monza, 20 June 2021: Mercedes-AMG driver Arjun Maini had a baptism of fire during the first round of the DTM championship held at the Monza race track in Italy this weekend. Maini became the first Indian to race in the DTM championship.
Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) and J.K.Tyre Motorsport backed racing driver Arjun Maini had a difficult start to his DTM campaign as the rookie faced a stern challenge against the championship’s more experienced campaigners.
The Indian had to deal with the added burden of having to adjust his driving style to suit the requirements of a GT3 racecar with very limited testing, after spending the last few seasons in Endurance Racing competing in the LMP2 class. Further Maini only had two practice sessions of 45 minutes each to acclimatize to both the circuit and racecar.
Racing for the GetSpeed team, Maini made steady progress over the course of the weekend with the Indian feeling more comfortable in his Mercedes AMG GT3 car as the sessions progressed.
The highpoint of Maini’s weekend came in Race 2 when he was locked in a battle with Mercedes stablemate Vincent Abril (who finished second in Race 1) before a mechanical failure ended his weekend prematurely.
“Today [Sunday] we were fighting for points before we had to retire with an ABS issue,” Maini explained.
“We had a Good start and we were Three Cars Side by side between Turn 1 and 2 . I held on to my Position but a small contact at that point caused the final failure later on in the race.”
“We had good pace in the second race and there was definitely significant progress made over the course of the weekend.”
“Becoming the first Indian to race in the DTM for me personally was a very special moment. While the final result may not have been what we wanted, I am proud of the progress we made as a team and we will regroup and come back stronger for the next round.”
Considering Maini has essentially missed an entire year’s worth of racing in Europe due to the ongoing pandemic, and the fact that there is a learning curve for even the most experienced of drivers given the shift to GT3 specification, Maini’s weekend could be classified as a success.
The second round of the DTM Championship will take place at the Lausitzring in Germany on 23rd and 24th of July. The Mercedes-AMG driver has previously tested on this circuit meaning he should be in contention to score his first points in the series. -
Akhil finishes P15 as incidents play spoilsport at Circuit Zandvoort
Bengaluru, 21 June, 2021: Akhil Rabindra, the only Indian on the European GT4 Championship grid, racing for AGS Events Racing Team, finished P15 in the Silver category along with his team mate Hugo Conde in an incident laden Round 3 of the championship in Netherlands late last evening. The race was being hosted at the iconic Circuit Zandvoort which also would play the host to the much-awaited Dutch Formula1 Grand Prix later this year.
Akhil is also the only Asian to get selected for the prestigious Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy’s class of 2021 for the third time in a row inching closer towards a chance to earn the coveted Academy driver contract. An incident laden Race1 for the team of Akhil Rabindra and Hugo Conde, with the latter on the steering wheel, saw them finishing at P13 in the Silver category and an overall P27. Race 1 saw Akhil’s team completing 24 laps in 1:22:04.392. Race 1 was quite an eventful race facing temporary suspension following an incident involving the #32 United Autosports McLaren.
Akhil who took to the steering wheel in Race 2 of the third round of the European GT4 Championship made an impressive run to finish P15 in the Silver category and an overall P21 from a grid of 36 cars. Akhil while being on the driver’s seat completed 32 laps in 1:01:55.560 minutes. Akhil while driving his Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in Race 2 again had to face an interruption, after starting on a good note, had to slow down in the final few minutes of the race due to a full course yellow and safety car situation, following two separate incidents where the race control neutralized proceedings after the #77 Team Fullmotorsport Audi went into the gravel while at the same time the #11 Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW hit the barriers.
Akhil Rabindra commented, “We could have done much better and are definitely not happy with our performance. There were unforeseen hurdles in both Race 1 & 2 which had a direct impact on our speed and finishing positions. We will have to keep working on our performance and keep improving to ensure that in future such indirect and unforeseen hurdles do not impact our positions drastically.”
Round 3 of the European GT4 Series saw AKKA ASP (Mercedes –AMG) in Pro-am and Silver, and CMR (Toyota) in the AM Cup claim the top honors. The European GT4 Series now moves to Circuit Spa-Francorchamos, Belgium for Round 4 of the Championship from July 28 – 31, 2021. The race can be watched LIVE on the YouTube Page of European GT4 Series.
About European GT4 Championship:
The GT4 European Series is a sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived from the FIA GT Championship which utilized the GT1 and GT2 classes.
GT4 class cars are mostly what can be referred to as track day cars, which are factory-built race cars available to the public. However, custom-built cars based on production models can also be built by teams. All cars are test driven by the FIA and then modified so that they all have near identical performance levels. Once a car has been approved by the FIA, it cannot be modified by the teams, eliminating continual development costs for constructors. All cars run on regulated Pirelli tires to further equalize performance.
