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Tag: Arjun Maini
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Arjun Maini finishes 4th in a wet race on Sunday: DTM
Styria (Austria), 25 Sept. 2022: Ace Indian driver Arjun Maini excelled in rain and made a dash to the top on slicks gaining places rapidly but had to contend with a fourth place, missing the podium in the DTM races on Sunday.
Freaky weather at the Red Bull Ring showed completely different race days in Styria. Bengaluru’s Arjun Maini, however, showed an impressive race pace with his #36 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the colours of team-partner PAUL in the first race, when he was turned around by an opponent in the first lap and drove from the last position up to the final 13th position – in the field of 27 GT3 cars.
DTM Spa 2022 Arjun had qualified 7th but had to start 10th due to a penalty from the previous race. He clearly showed tremendous Pace during the entire race as it is extremely difficult to overtake at the Red Bull ring.
The race on Sunday which was completely wet went much better and ultimately Arjun was able to bring the car across the finish line in 4th after an extremely exciting race on a wet Track that was drying towards the end of the race. Arjun Maini again showed his driving quality in the Wet and rewarded himself with 12 valuable championship points for the drivers’ and team standings.
Arjun pitted at the very end of the Pit Window to take a Chance on the Drying conditions and went out on Slick tyres with 15 minutes left to go. While he came out in P3, he fell back to P12 as the tyres were taking time to get heat into them. Towards the last few laps, he was able to recover several positions to make it to his best result this year in DTM. With all the known Brands in 27 cars, DTM is the most Competitive GT3 race driven by Single drivers across Europe.
Arjun Maini in action at the DTM races on Sunday in Styria. Arjun Maini, #36 Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m very happy with my race on Sunday. I was finally able to get a result with my pace. I like the Red Bull Ring – and now even a little bit more. It was very challenging today – but it was also a lot of fun to drive in these conditions. I want to Thank my team and Omega Seiki Mobility for making this happen.”
The last weekend of the DTM championship will be held at Hockenheimring between 7th and 9th October and will be Shown in India Live on Eurosports.
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Arjun Maini gets ready for 24-hours of Spa; Kush gears up for Budapest F3
Belgium/Hungary, 28 July 2022: Arjun and Kush Maini will once again be representing India on the world stage as the brothers get ready to compete in the 24 Hours of Spa and the FIA Formula 3 Championship respectively this weekend.
Arjun’s race will take place this weekend, July 29-31, at the historic Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Belgium with the 24-year-old racing his HRT Mercedes AMG GT3 in the car number 5 in the Gold-Cup category. The 24 Hours of Spa is considered the most important endurance event on the GT3 calendar with several prominent racers from around the world lining up on the grid.
Arjun will share his driving duties alongside HRT team owner Hubert Haupt as well as German driver Florian Scholze and Italian Gabriel Piana. There will be several prominent manufactures alongside Mercedes who will also be entering the event, with the likes of Audi, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini and Aston Martin on the grid as well.
“I’m excited to take part in my first ever 24 Hours of Spa,” Arjun Maini commented.
“To race at such a historic race circuit at such an iconic event is a real privilege and I’m hoping we as a team can secure a strong result.”
“The race won’t be easy and I’ll have to draw on all my DTM experience to make the most of the pace of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and while the format of the event is drastically different to the sprint races I’m used to, I’m still hoping I can leverage my familiarity with the car and the experience that I have from the 24 hours of Lemans to do the best job possible for the team.”
Kush who drives car number 12 on the other hand will compete at Budapest as FIA F3 Championship which reconvenes for the sixth round of the championship. Maini, who is backed by Mumbai Falcons, Omega Seiki and JK Racing, has displayed great pace in the series so far and has been unfortunate to not secure his first podium in the championship.
With 30 of the world’s best junior racers all vying for glory, competing in the F3 championship is no mean feat, with Maini aware of the challenges which lie ahead.
“While the end result maybe lacking, I’m confident in my ability to end the season strongly,” Kush Maini stated.
“The MP Motorsports team have done a great job so far of providing me with a car that is capable of racing at the front and with a bit more luck I’m sure we’d have secured a podium finish by now.”
“Nevertheless, it is important for me to keep pushing to ensure that result comes and I’m working as hard as ever to ensure I finish the season strongly.”
“I’m also grateful to the support I have received from my sponsors Omega Seiki and JK Racing and am Proud of my association with the Mumbai Falcons whose Livery is carried on my car from the Silverstone race onwards.”
Kush’s race in Budapest will take place on the final weekend of July, alongside F1 races between the 29-31and can be viewed live in India on the Star Sports Select 2 and HD channel.
Arjun’s Race on Saturday starts at 8 pm IST and can be seen Live at the https://www.gt-world-challenge-europe.com/ website.
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Arjun Maini misses podium: 2022 DTM championship
Lausitzring, 22 May 2022: Arjun Maini driving for Mercedes-AMG with team HRT narrowly missed his first podium of the season in only his third race of the 2022 DTM Championship.
After starting sixth in an extremely competitive qualifying session, Maini made a good start and was able to move into fourth during the first lap of the race. A quick pit stop from the team saw him briefly move into third, ahead of Lucas Auer. However, Maini’s colder tyres meant he fell back to fourth, a position he would maintain till the checkered flag.
The 2022 DTM championship boasts of 29 drivers, which is not only the largest grid in DTM history, but also an extremely competitive grid with some of the world’s best talent from the GT3 world taking part. Given its competitive nature, there were 21 cars that qualified within one second of pole in Qualifying 1 and 23 cars within a second in Qualifying 2.
Maini’s second qualifying session was compromised due to a Red Flag with 4 minutes to go, with the Indian failing to set a lap time when the session was halted. He eventually qualified 14th and lost some places as he went off on one of the corners as he battled side by side with several cars. He was, however, able to recover to finish 13th in Race 2.
Arjun Maini, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #36, said: “It was a mixed weekend for me. P6 in qualifying and P4 in the race on Saturday. We had good pace and a good pit stop. There was then a turbulent qualifying on Sunday, which meant I ended up starting from down in P14. In the end, I came home 13th – not ideal, but I feel positive looking ahead to Imola.”
“I want to thank OSM (Omega Seiki Mobility) for Supporting me in this extremely competitive series”.
The next Race Weekend of DTM will take place in Imola in Italy on June 18th and 19th 2022.
While the DTM championship will be broadcast live on Eurosport, the FIA Formula 3 championship will be broadcast live on Star Sports Select HD2 in India.
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Maini brothers Arjun and Kush get ready for week-end
Bengaluru, 20 May 2022: The Formula 1 race week-end beginning today will see three top Indian racers in action. While top star Jehan Daruvala, considered as the next top Indian to be ready for F1, and younger of the Maini brothers, Kush Maini will be racing in F2 and F3 competitions respectively.
Meanwhile, the eldest of the Bangalore-based brothers, Arjun Maini, who switched to GT racing last year, now competes in the DTM series. Entering his second season in the pan European championship, Arjun now races with team HRT in the #36 Mercedes-AMG. Last year Arjun told this reporter that F1 is no more his target as he switched focus to endurance racing, and he loves it as much as he did the other form of sport. “I have developed a passion for endurance racing and I am enjoying it,” he said at Meco Kartopia, on the sidelines of karting Nationals.
Kush is still working his way up to Formula 1 and now races in FIA Formula 3 in the #12 MP Motorsports car. The brothers will, for the first time in 2022, compete simultaneously this weekend with Arjun racing at the Lausitzring in Germany and Kush in Barcelona as a support race for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The DTM Championship has changed significantly and features a record line up of 29 Drivers with iconic brands, such as Mercedes-AMG, Audi, BMW, Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini and Ferrari, now locked in a seven-way championship battle for the Manufacturers’ title. The Competition in the series has gone up a few notches with the qualifying and racing action now closer than ever before as experienced at the first round at Portimão. The field is stacked with talent, with multiple World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb the latest in a long line of motorsport legends to try his hand in the series.
Despite finishing the season strongly with his first podium finish at the famed Norisring circuit, Arjun had a difficult start to the season in Portugal, but clearly found the pace in the second race where he made 12 positions after starting 25th.
“I am looking forward to racing at the Lausitzring again, especially because of the banked turn one corner,” Arjun commented ahead of the weekend.
“It makes the circuit very exciting and different and is a really distinctive feature for a European circuit. I was really quick here last year, but did not get the results I wanted. So, I want to make sure to get some decent results this year.
“We have been working hard since Portimão and I am confident that the team will provide me with a good car to fight for positions. Let’s see how it goes. I want to thank OSM (Omega Seiki Mobility) for supporting me for a second year.”
Kush meanwhile faces a completely different challenge in Barcelona. The younger of the two brothers spent a bulk of 2021 on the sidelines after two strong seasons in the BRDC Formula 3 Championship (now GB3) where he finished third and second in the championship respectively. Kush is now racing for MP Motorsport in the FIA F3 championship, where he faces the unenviable task of competing against 30 of the world’s best junior drivers while being scrutinized by several prominent F1 scouts.
Kush, who is currently 13th in the championship, will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother, who became India’s first GP3 Series (the forerunner to FIA F3) race winner at the same venue in 2017.
“I’m looking forward to the upcoming weekend in Barcelona,” Kush said in the lead-up to his race in Spain.
“The Barcelona circuit is one of my favourites on the calendar, and I’m hoping to bring home some good points at the end of the weekend. We definitely have the pace to fight in the front, and with a little more luck, I believe we’d be higher up in the standings.
“Obviously, I’d like to emulate what Arjun did here, but for the time being, I’m keeping my head down and working with the team to maximize the car’s performance.”
“I want to thank JK racing and OSM (Omega Seiki Mobility) for all the support they have given me.”
Despite competing in vastly different championships and stages of their careers, the brothers appear to be united by a desire to compete against the world’s best drivers. One thing is certain: both drivers will give it their all this weekend!
While the DTM championship will be broadcast live on Eurosport, the FIA Formula 3 championship will be broadcast live on Star Sports Select HD2 in India.
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DTM: Maini has a difficult start to 2022 season in Portimao
Arjun Maini kick-started his 2022 DTM campaign with Haupt Racing Team (HRT) last weekend at Portimao driving the #36b Mercedes-AMG GT3 machine alongside teammate Luca Stolz.
Starting the weekend, Maini finished 22nd and 24th in the two practice sessions, where he was 15th in Qualifying 1 and 22nd in Qualifying 2. It was a difficult qualifying for the Indian which left him in a difficult spot in races.
In Race 1, he dropped places at the start and managed to recover to 17th in the end, while in Race 2, he had a better run to move from outside of Top 20 to finish 13th eventually but out of points.
“Overall, it was a difficult weekend for me,” said Maini. “But we had strong pace, just that not everything came together. In Qualifying 1, we had few issues which didn’t allow me to improve on the second set.
“In Race, once again, the pace was good but I was in a few unlucky positions and I lost a lot of positions on start and re-starts. In Qualifying 2, the car was very good but unfortunately we got blocked on the fastest lap.
“After that we had no tyres, so we had to start Race 2 from the back. Also, we had a penalty from the previous day. We started P25, the car was mega, the guys did a really good job in the pit stops, so we finished P13.
“In the end, that was the best we could do but pace is there, we just need everything to come together now, massive thanks to whole HRT team and Mercedes for giving me a strong car.”
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Maini finds a new home in Haupt Racing team: DTM series
Bengaluru, 16 Feb. 2022: After a successful rookie season in Germany’s premiere racing series, Maini will look to build on his solid foundation as he joins the team that brought 2021 champion Maximillian Gotz to the title, a press release said here on Wednesday.
Arjun Maini The 2021 season marked a new chapter in Maini’s life, as the Omega Seiki Mobility backed racing driver became the first Indian to compete in the German Championship. Maini demonstrated incredible one-lap speed, finishing in the top five in several practice and qualifying sessions, and his perseverance was ultimately rewarded with a fine second place in the season-ending race at the Norisring.
The DTM series was revitalized when it switched to the GT3 regulations in 2021, with a slew of supercar manufacturers joining its ranks. This included the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Audi to name a few. The new format also ensured that the championship remained one of the most competitive racing classes outside of Formula 1, with current Williams driver Alex Albon competing alongside former stars such as Lucas di Grassi, Timo Glock, and Markus Winkelhock in a sprint format that captivated audiences from around the globe.
Despite the influx of new manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz maintained its dominance, with the Stuttgart-based behemoth winning both the Manufactures’ and Drivers’ titles in 2021. In fact, Mercedes’ continued support is a testament to Maini’s performances in 2021, with the championship winners offering the Indian the opportunity to compete with one of their flagship teams in the form of HRT.
HRT has a long history in motorsport, having competed and tasted success in a variety of GT championships such as the Asia Le Mans Series, the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, the GT World Series, and the DTM. Given their wealth of experience, Maini will be hoping to capitalize on their acumen as he seeks to establish himself as a consistent front runner.
After only a few days of testing in 2021, Maini has had a much more structured off season, with the Indian currently racing in the Asian Le Mans Series. Maini, who is sharing the car with team owner Herbert Haupt is currently in the UAE competing in all four rounds of the championship and is the team’s lead qualifier.
The Indian will also contest the preseason tests in his official DTM Mercedes AMG car prior to the season opener in Portimao, Portugal, between April 30 and May 1, 2022.
Arjun Maini:
“I’m thrilled to be joining HRT. Having achieved the majority of my goals in 2021, I’m better prepared to face the challenges of the upcoming season, and my goal is to become the first Indian race winner in DTM.
“Given the Haupt Racing Team’s pedigree, I believe we can mount a series fight for a top five finish in the championship, with the objective being to accumulate as many podiums and wins as possible.”
“I feel at ease in the car, and after an entire season last year, I genuinely believe I am better equipped to navigate the subtleties involved in driving the Mercedes AMG GT3 racecar to extract the best of its Potential.”
Mercedes AMG:
“I am convinced that, together with our teams and the high-quality driver line-up, we can deliver success in the new season as well,” Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, adds.
Ex-DTM driver Thomas Jäger is Mercedes-AMG’s sporting director DTM. “In its debut season, DTM has shown how high the sporting aspiration of this series is. The teams and drivers involved are the absolute top level in GT racing. Accordingly, for us at Mercedes-AMG, it is an obligation to support our teams in the best possible way,” Jäger says.
Ulrich Fritz, Managing Director of Haupt Racing Team (HRT):
“Strategic aspects played the major role in the selection of our driver line-up for the 2022 DTM season – a decision that was made together with Mercedes-AMG. We are confident that, with Luca Stolz and Arjun Maini, we will line up with a very competitive package for Haupt Racing Team.” -
Arjun Maini to take part in Asian Le Mans for HRT
Dubai, 8 Feb. 2022: This season, Haupt Racing Team will compete in the Asian Le Mans Series for the first time. The team from Meuspath is set to line up with one Mercedes-AMG GT3 in all four of the series’ races. Alternating at the wheel of the #6 car, with its striking blue and yellow livery, will be Hubert Haupt (GER), Arjun Maini (IND) and Rory Penttinen (FIN). The first race of the season gets underway at 13:30 CET on Saturday, 12th February, at Dubai Autodrome.
The calendar for the Asian Le Mans Series comprises four races. The opening weekend in Dubai (12th to 13th February) sees the teams contest two four-hour races. One week later (19th to 20th February), the series moves to Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi for another two four-hour races.
This year’s field features 37 cars, 23 of which – more than ever before – will line up in the GT class. The teams will not only be battling it out for the title in the Asian Le Mans Series, but each class winner will also be rewarded with a starting place at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In Rory Penttinen, HRT has acquired a wealth of experience in the Asian Le Mans Series: The Finn started every one of the races in 2021, winning the Team and Driver titles in the LMP3 class. He will share the cockpit with team owner Hubert Haupt, with Arjun Maini being the third driver: Like Penttinen, the 24 years-old Indian, who drove in the DTM last year, will be making his race debut for Haupt Racing Team in Dubai.
Hubert Haupt, team owner Haupt Racing Team / HRT #6:
“I am already hugely looking forward to the Asian Le Mans Series. Four races in two weekends in the Emirates – it is going to be great. The series also offers us a good opportunity to get closer to the organisers, ACO. A start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans could be interesting for us in 2024.”
Arjun Maini, driver HRT #6:
“I am really pleased to be driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 again in the Asian Le Mans Series, and to be doing so for an established team like HRT. We have a strong line-up, so we will hopefully be able to produce some strong performances. I Have great memories of the tracks at Dubai and Abu Dhabi where I have driven in earlier Championships and am really looking forward to capitalise on my previous experiences of Endurance racing in Asia and Europe. ”
Rory Penttinen, driver HRT #6:
“I have very fond memories of the Asian Le Mans Series, as last year’s victory in the LMP3 class was one of my biggest successes as a racing driver. I would now like to repeat that in the GT class with Hubert and Arjun. With a bit of luck and a top performance, we can do it.”
Ulrich Fritz, Managing Director of Haupt Racing Team:“This is our first time competing in the Asian Le Mans Series, and we will be up against some strong opposition in the GT class. Despite this, we have high hopes, particularly as we have enjoyed great success at Dubai Autodrome in the past. We will work very hard to add to that success now.”
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Historic DTM silver for Arjun Maini
Nuremberg, 9 October 2021: Ace Indian racing star Arjun Maini of Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed won his maiden DTM podium with silver in the Saturday’s race. Thus, he became the first Indian on a DTM podium and accolades poured in for the Indian star, who embraced this form of motorsports at the beginning of the season by becoming the first Indian to take part in DTM series.
Watch the Video here, courtesy DTM.
Watch Arjun Maini’s short interview here, courtesy DTM.
The Omega Seiki and J.K.Tyre backed driver was justly rewarded for the pace he has shown throughout the season with the Indian managing to hold off a strong challenge from championship leader Liam Lawson towards the end of the race.
As expected going into the weekend, Maini was able to make full use of his prior knowledge of the Norisring race circuit from his Formula 3 days. The Indian finished second in Free Practice 2 before qualifying fourth for the weekend’s first race. While the Indian was overtaken by Mercedes stablemate Maximillian Gotz at the start, he managed to keep out of major trouble, despite banging wheels with Lawson and mildly damaging his front right suspension.
It took Arjun many laps to get used to the damage and yet retain a reasonable pace.
A cleanly executed pitstop from the GetSpeed racing team further aided the Indian’s effort, with Maini leapfrogging Lawson and settling in behind Gotz, a position he would go on to maintain for the remainder of the race.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the result,” a clearly jubilant Maini stated.
“We’ve worked so hard throughout the year and while our qualifying pace has been good, we’ve never been able to stitch together a clean race. Today was just one of those days where everything came together, our pace was good and GetSpeed executed a well-judged pitstop.
“We have one more race to go tomorrow so I won’t be celebrating too much, but I have to say it feels good to finally achieve my aim for the season.”
The result also marked GetSpeed’s first podium in the championship, the team made their DTM debut this season with Maini and the pair have performed admirably over the course of the season given their relative lack of experience.Earlier, in DTM Norisring powered by BWT, the ultimate showdown is imminent on Sunday. With his victory on Saturday, Maximilian Götz has made the three-way battle for the coveted DTM title even more thrilling. With the Mercedes-AMG run by the HRT team, the driver from Uffenheim scored his second win of the season. Points’ leader Liam Lawson secured third place with the Red Bull Ferrari behind Indian Arjun Maini with the GetSpeed Mercedes while Kelvin van der Linde finished fourth with the ABT Audi at the 2.3 kilometres long Norisring.
With this thrilling outcome of the race, Lawson, now leading with a total of 224 points, extended his margin to 18 points over Kelvin van der Linde (206), but Götz (205) reduced his gap to only one point to van der Linde and 19 to Lawson. In total, there are still 28 points up for grabs, three in qualifying and 25 in the deciding race on Sunday. Arjun Maini, who was plagued by mechanical failures and engine issues earlier, is 13th in the standings with 40 points.
Arjun Maini with his Silver at DTM Series on Saturday. Photo courtesy Twitter @ArjunMaini The Bengaluru-born Maini, began the week-end on a confident note posting a 49.842 sec in Free Practice on to finish 7th , just 0.256 second off the pace of P1, and put on a good 42 laps with only Esteban Muth putting more laps, and derived good data to set up the car. He did another 43 laps in Free Practice 2 and was the second quickest posting a time of 49.405, missing the top entry on the timesheets by just 0.030sec. He continued the good run improving the time below 49s but could only get a P4 on the start grid for the Saturday race as the top-8 were all in 1/100th of a second. Maini P4 is just 0.007off the pole man as he clocked 48.938. The Indian bagged 18 points to take his tally to a decent 40 points despite all the hiccups with the mechanical issues.
“What an incredible race! It’s a big day for @ArjunMaini, the first Indian on a DTM podium,” tweeted Mercedes AMG official handle with a hashtag #DTM2021″ and tagged Maini. “Thank you guys! The care was mega,” was the Indian star’s reply.
“Yes, we did it. P2. I am so happy to get my first podium in DTM (series) here in Norisring and also the first podium for India,” Maini said after the race and thanked all his supporters, his team Mercedes AMG and GetSpeed,for the car, on the Social Media. `”Raring to go for tomorrow’s race,” he quipped.
THE LONG WAIT IS OVER: Arjun Maini gets his first chance to spray champagne and celebrate at DTM Series on Saturday after winning a Silver.
The season’s final qualifying session and race can be streamed on AutoCar India’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/autocarindia1) with Qualifying flagging off at 1 pm IST with the race starting at 5 pm IST. -
Arjun Maini suffers another difficult weekend: DTM races
Assen, 19 Sept. 2021: Mercedes-AMG DTM driver Arjun Maini endured a difficult weekend at the Assen race circuit in Holland. The Indian, who secured his best-ever finish of sixth during the previous round, experienced one of those weekends where nothing seemed to went right despite his best efforts.
The Omega Seiki and JK Tyre-backed driver started the weekend promisingly, claiming fourth overall during the second free practice session of the weekend. However, an extremely tight qualifying session meant Maini could only manage 13th overall despite setting a time that was only 0.412 tenths off the pole sitters’ lap time.
Things went from bad to worse as a poor start from championship leader Liam Lawson caused a concertina effect with several cars hitting each other as Lawson’s Ferrari failed to get off the line cleanly. Maini was one of the drivers involved in the incident, meaning his race was over before even it started in what was a bitterly disappointing moment for the Indian driver.
Qualifying 2 once again saw Maini display his strong pace over a single lap as the Indian topped the timing sheets for a considerable amount of time during the session. Unfortunately, the Indian was deemed to have started his final timed lap fractionally after the checkered flag dropped meaning his lap time which was good enough for 8th on the grid was deleted and the Mercedes-AMG driver once again had to make do with a lowly starting position of 16th instead of the eighth he initially secured.
Despite the setback, Maini made a great getaway making his way up the order and into the points before coming in for his mandatory pitstop, the Indian then struggled for pace during the second half and found himself finishing the race in 13th.
“I’m honestly at a loss to explain our lack of pace during Race 2,” a disappointed Maini stated.
“We were definitely compromised by our lack of running but neither the team nor I expected the drop-off to be so severe. It’s something we’re looking into and hopefully, we can understand what went wrong today.
“The next round takes place at one of my favorite tracks on the calendar and I’m confident we can get back into the points.”
A rookie racing for a brand new team in the ultra-competitive DTM championship was always going to represent a challenge for both the driver and team. Nevertheless, Maini and GetSpeed have acquitted themselves well over the course of the season so far and a return to the Hockenheim race circuit should benefit the pair.
The next round of the DTM season takes place on October 1-3, 2021. -
Arjun Maini raring to go at Assen: DTM Series
Assen (The Netherlands), 17 Sept. 2021: Mercedes-AMG DTM star Arjun Maini is set to take part in the sixth round of the DTM championship at the Assen race track in Holland.
The Omega Seiki and J.K.Tyre backed driver has had a renaissance of sorts with the Indian turning a torrid run of luck into consistent points finishes over the course of the past two rounds. Coming off his best ever weekend in Germany’s premier racing series, with a sixth and seventh-place finish in Austria marking his best-ever return in the DTM Championship, Maini is filled with confidence as he looks to climb up the championship ladder.
The Assen race circuit will represent a unique challenge to the Indian as he has never raced competitively on the track.“While I haven’t raced competitively at the Assen race circuit, I do have testing experience at the track,” Maini stated.
“The last two weekends have been positive in terms of overall results and I’m confident about my chances heading into the weekend. It’s important to note that this is GetSpeed’s first year racing in DTM too, which means we don’t have too much data to draw from heading into the weekend.
“That being said, we have worked tirelessly to address our lack of experience at certain race circuits and I think we have made good progress through the season especially after hitting our nadir at Zolder.”
Having secured consecutive points finishes for the first time, Maini’s next objective will be a podium finish. While the competitive nature of the DTM championship makes this a lofty goal, the Indian’s consistent improvement and raw pace over the course of the season provides cause for hope, especially if his race strategy is executed to perfection.
The sessions can be watched on https://www.youtube.com/user/autocarindia1, with Race 1 taking place on September 18, and Race two flagging off on September 19.
