06 September 2021, Red Bull Ring, Austria: Mercedes-AMG driver Arjun Maini scored his best-ever finish in the DTM championship with the Indian finishing a career-best sixth and seventh in the two races held at the Red Bull Ring circuit.
The Omega Seiki and J.K.Tyre backed driver claimed a double points finish by claiming sixth and seventh over the course of the two races held at the Austrian race circuit. The result means the rookie has now had his most productive DTM weekend to date, with his GetSpeed racing team, who are also new to the series, now slowly making their way up the standings.
Maini’s pace was on display for all to see from the get-go with the Mercedes-AMG driver finishing the first practice session in fourth. An engine issue meant that the Indian driver had to miss the second practice session entirely but despite his limited running, Maini managed to qualify for Race1 in third.
The sole Indian on the grid made a strong getaway during the first race of the weekend though a botched pit stop saw him tumble down the order, which ultimately cost Maini his shot at a first podium in the ultra-competitive German racing championship. The Indian was locked in an intense battle with former Formula 1 star Alex Albon for a large section of the race and eventually missed out on a top-five finish by a whisker.
Race 2 saw Maini qualify tenth, though a shrewd pit call meant he was able to fight through the pack and ultimately end the race in seventh place.
“It’s been a great weekend for me personally,” Maini stated.
“The misfortune from the earlier races is now firmly behind me and I’m starting to get a proper feel of what it’s like to race GT cars. Obviously, the first half of the season was a learning experience for me and I now feel more confident heading into the races and the results reflect the same.
“GetSpeed too have done a fantastic job of adapting to the DTM and I believe we are well-positioned to end the championship strongly. The target for the remainder of the season has to be a podium, and I believe the team and I are capable of meeting this goal.”
Maini’s progress over the course of the year has been noticeable and appreciated. The weekend in Austria was a much better indicator of Maini’s pace in the series and he will now look to end the season strongly with three race weekends remaining.
The next round of the championship is scheduled to take place at the Assen race circuit in Holland in a fortnight’s time, September 18-20.
