Arjun Maini
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First Indian to win in GP3
Devadyuti Das, Maini first Indian to win in GP3 , May 15, 2017: The Times of India
Arjun Maini had a second bite at a slice of motorsports history this week by becoming the first Indian driver to win a race in the GP3 series with a stunning win in Race 2 in Barcelona on Sunday . The Jenzer motorsports driver, who was signed up by Haas F1 team earlier this week as their development driver, won his first ever GP3 race keeping his teammate Alessio Lorandi at bay .
The Indian teenager joined GP3 series last season and competed in 14 out of 18 races with Jenzer last year and has now begun the season on a winning note. “It has been a fantastic weekend. I was second in practice but qualifying wasn't perfect and I was in 8th place and as a result I was satisfied with seventh position in Race 1 on Saturday . Overnight we worked on the car and the balance was much better which went a long way in helping me win,“ Maini told TOI from Barcelona.
Maini finished seventh in Race 1 of the first round of the GP3 season on Saturday after qualifying a respectable sixth in the morning as he managed to claim six points from that race. Starting second on the grid, in Race 2, Arjun quickly took the lead and was challenged by Dorian Boccolacci in the early stages but fought back with some smart driving and was able to race clear in first place building a resounding 4.5 second lead by the 10th lap. Maini's Jenzer teammate Alessio Lorandi, claimed third place after yet another great drive.
“I think this was my best drive in GP3 till date. I made no mistakes and improved with every lap. Haas team was also very pleased with my win, in fact, their team principal Guenther Steiner came up to congratulate me before I went on the podium,“ the 19-year-old said.
Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, who is Maini's mentor and manager, was pleased by his protege's show in Barcelona. “There was a lot of pressure and attention on him this weekend after the Haas announcement.
Maini now feels that this GP3 win close on the heels of the Haas announcement will help in securing his future and attract more sponsors to support his drive. “It's not easy to get sponsorship in motorsports. So to win in GP3 so close after securing a test driver's position is just brilliant,“ he said.
