Arjun Maini is set to participate in endurance sports car racing as he joins RLR MSport for the 87th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15-16 June and a full season in the European Le Mans Series later.
Maini will share the RLR MSport-prepared ORECA with ex-F1 star Bruno Senna and Canadian racer John Farano in the ELMS.
Senna however, will be unavailable to race the Le Mans and will relinquish his seat with his replacement to be announced before the Automobile Club de l’Ouest reveals the 2019 entry on 11 February.
“I’m extremely excited to make my endurance racing debut this year,” he said. “The highlight of the year will surely be the race at Le Mans and I’m hoping I can do my country proud as it is one of the most prestigious events in motor-racing.”
“It is imperative for anyone to succeed to be backed by a strong team and I think the team at RLR Msport will provide the perfect environment for me to perform at my very best, especially considering I will be racing in a category I have no prior experience in.”
Maini stepped onto the junior single-seater ladder early on following his lucrative karting career. The Bangalore-based driver achieved a brace of wins to finish second overall in the Formula BMW Championship in India, before travelling to the UK for an assault on the BRDC Formula 4 Championship.
He won eight races and nine podium finishes and subsequently finished second to his then teammate and Williams F1’s newest recruit George Russell in the final points classification.
Maini also reached the international stage in the Formula 1-supporting GP3 Series. There, he became the first Indian to win a race and record a fastest lap; a victory at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and a podium finish in the season finale at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi ultimately ensured his team finished third in the championship and he earned a spot on the FIA Formula 2 grid in 2018.
“Arjun Maini has shown a great deal of innate speed during his illustrious single-seater career and his talent is unquestionable,” said RLR MSport Director of Motorsport Operations, Nick Reynolds. “I’m certain his transition to prototypes will be a successful one and that he will give a positive contribution to RLR MSport’s 2019 programme at Le Mans and in the ELMS.”
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