The motorsports sector in India is witnessing a revolution these days as we have a solid combination of infrastructure, talent, and money.One such talent is Arjun Maini.
Maini is the first Indian driver in history to get a full-time race seat in the German Touring Car Championship, popularly known as DTM. In the recent development, he reportedly will continue for a second season in DTM with the Haupt Racing Team (HRT).
Arjun Maini- a prodigy
Maini spent his rookie season with Team GetSpeed driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 racer. Now, his promotion from Team GetSpeed to HRT, which is the lead team in DTM shows the trust of the Stuttgart-based brand in Maini. This has led India to expect a strong rookie season.
Maini, on touching this milestone, stated, “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.”
Ulrich Fritz, Managing Director of Haupt Racing Team (HRT), in a statement, expressed his confidence in Arjun Maini. He asserted, “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.”
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Well, the expectations from Arjun Maini are higher as Mercedes-AMG won both the drivers’ championship and the manufacturers’ championship for 2021.
Maini- the first Indian to compete in DTM
It is pertinent to note that Maini, in 2021, became the first Indian to secure a 2nd place finish at the last race in Norisring. His qualifying pace has been brilliant. The 2021 switch to GT3 regulations resulted in the massive induction of major high-performance manufacturers, from Ferrari and Lamborghini to Audi and Porsche.
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Maini had then told, “My first real experience of the [DTM] championship came in 2015 when I was competing in Formula 3 and we drove on the same weekend as DTM. The Atmosphere was something I had never experienced before. I feel privileged to finally live out one of my dreams. The series enjoys a fine reputation around the world and is the perfect opportunity for me to test myself against rapid GT3 drivers.”
Maini had then stated that “He hopes that this venture into DTM will be a long and successful partnership between him and Mercedes-AMG.”
Notably, DTM is one of the premier racing series in the world. And, promotion of a young Indian, that is, Maini to its leadership team is an achievement for India. India’s F1 dream is getting closer by the day.