DTM Championship: Arjun Maini scores a career best finish in Austria
Sep 06, 2021
Vienna [Austria], September 6 : 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 Austrian race circuit.
Due to engine issues, 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 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 has 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 from September 18-20.