Arjun Maini

Arjun Maini (born 10 December 1997) is an Indian professional racing driver, currently competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and in the GT World Challenge Europe for Haupt Racing Team. He is currently a Ford Factory driver. He was the winner of Force India's 'One in a Billion' driver hunt in 2011.

Early life

Maini comes from a family of racers. His brother Kush is also a racer competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with ART Grand Prix, and his father, Gautam, raced in the National Racing Championship in the late 1990s, at the Formula India Single Seater Maruti Engine. The teenager first fell in love with motorsport when his father gave him an electric car. Maini received his first go-kart, an 80cc Comer Kart at the age of five.

Maini's uncle Chetan Maini is an Indian business magnate best known for building India's first electric car, REVA, and as the Founder of Reva Electric Car Company Ltd, now Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited, where he served as an advisor.

Maini idolises Sebastian Vettel and in his free time enjoys wrestling, cycling, fitness activities and video editing.

Junior career

Karting

Maini received his first go-kart, an 80cc Comer Kart, at the age of 5. At the young age of 8, Maini won his first two championships, the MRF Mini Max Championship in both the Rotax class and the 4-stroke Cadet class in his first year of racing. After his first titles, Maini raced on foreign soil for the first time in the Asia Max championship, which led to immediate success. In 2008, Maini became the youngest Indian to win a kart race abroad by winning the Malaysian Royal Kelantan Kart Prix held in 2008.

Maini was the youngest driver to take part in the J.K. Tyre Rotax Max Junior Max National championship at the age of 11. He was selected by the Red Rooster Racing Team in 2009. He then took part in the Rotax Max Challenge India - Junior in 2010 and finished in 2nd place, with the highest number of fastest laps. Maini's major breakthrough came in 2011 where he won the J.K.Tyre Rotax Max National Karting Championship title in the Junior Max category and followed this up by becoming the Sahara Force India team's One from a Billion winner. He was also the winner of AKOC race in Macau as well as the Ask KF3 Race in Elite, Malaysia. He finished second overall in the AKS Malaysian Championship 2011.

In his penultimate year of karting, Maini finished a creditable fifth in the ROK Cup International Final in Junior ROK category. Maini was awarded the best rookie at Rowrah while racing in the MSA British Karting Championship. He also finished in second place in Junior category in the Indonesia Kart Prix 2012 along with first place in the Junior max category in Rotax Invitational Karting Race held at Kuala Lumpur.

Lower formulas

Maini then stepped up into cars in 2013. He finished runner up in the J.K.Tyre Racing Series championship, winning two races at the Buddh International Circuit as well as winning the Malaysian Super 6 Series. He also competed in the WSK Euro and Master karting in the KF category.

In 2014, Maini then went on to compete in the BRDC Formula 4 championship; finishing second overall and missing out on the championship by three points to teammate George Russell. He finished the championship with eight wins and nine podium finishes. He was also the highest ranked Indian driver in the Driver Database

At the beginning of 2015, Maini showed remarkable pace in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand en route to a 4th overall in the championship with two wins, five podiums and three poles. He also finished fourth overall in Race 2 of the Pau Grand Prix. However, a learning year in the FIA European Formula 3 series meant he could only manage 18th overall and ninth in the rookie class. Maini did manage to end the season on a high, finishing tenth at the Macau Grand Prix.

GP3 Series

2016

In 2016, Maini raced for Jenzer Motorsport in the GP3 series, he finished the season in tenth position in the championship despite missing the first four races. He also became the first Indian to secure a podium in the GP3 series at Hungaroring, after finishing second. Maini also raced in the Macau GP for Team Motopark.

2017

Maini signed for Jenzer again in 2017, for his second stint in the GP3 Series. He scored two podiums, including a victory in the sprint race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and ended up 9th in the championship, two positions behind teammate Alessio Lorandi.

FIA Formula 2 Championship

At the end of 2017, Maini took part in a post season test in Abu Dhabi with F2 teams Trident and Russian Time.

2018

Maini signed for Trident Racing in the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship, partnering with fellow Haas F1 Team development driver Santino Ferrucci.

While driving in a race at Circuit Paul Ricard, Maini said over the radio that the car lacked power and tearfully claimed people didn't believe him and didn't support him, and that Formula 2 was not providing good equipment. The Trident team analyzed data and agreed and approached F2, and Maini was given a new engine shortly after.

Later that season, teammate Ferrucci ran Maini off the track in a race at Silverstone Circuit and then crashed into the back of Maini's car later in the same race after the checkered flag had been waved, both of which were found to be deliberate actions, and Trident apologized to Maini. Ferrucci also "appeared to mock" Maini on Twitter over Maini's rant about the car's power.

Ferrucci was banned for several races and was fired by Trident shortly thereafter, due to these incidents and others.

2019

Maini replaced Dorian Boccolacci at Campos Racing in the 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship at Spielberg. He raced in six races, scoring no points, before being replaced by Marino Sato.

Formula One

In May 2017, it was announced that the Haas F1 Team signed Maini as a development driver. He remained in his role throughout 2018.

Endurance racing

Maini changed from single seaters to Endurance racing in the European Le Mans Series with RLR M SPORT. He also competed in the prestigious 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as competing in the Asian Le Mans Series where he won the first race at Shanghai International Circuit.

DTM

In 2021, Maini joined the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters driving for Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed. He picked up his first podium finish in the series at the Norisring. This was also the first podium finish by an Indian in the history of the series. He switched to Mercedes-AMG Haupt Racing Team for the 2022 season, achieving two fourth-place finishes. He stayed with the team for 2023.

Karting record

Karting career summary

Racing record

Racing career summary

Complete BRDC Formula 4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

Complete Toyota Racing Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete GP3 Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete FIA Formula 2 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

Complete European Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results

* Season still in progress.

Complete Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie results

†As Maini was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

Complete ADAC GT Masters results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

External links

• career summary at DriverDB.com