Maini set to compete in Le Mans

Arjun Maini is all set to broaden his horizons and divert his attention from open-wheeled competition to endurance sports car racing this year after joining RLR MSport for the 87th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Maini will share the RLR MSport-prepared ORECA with ex-F1 star Bruno Senna and Canadian racer John Farano for the full season of European Le Mans Series (ELMS). Maini will also be competing in the punishing Le Mans on June 15 and 16.

Senna, however, will be unavailable to race the Le Mans due to other commitments.

JK-Tyre supported Maini was excited about diving into endurance racing. "I'm extremely excited to make my endurance racing debut this year. 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. Given that they are the reigning ELMS champions, the expectations for the 2019 season will be quite high and I'm looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead," he added.

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.

Speed and consistency yielded eight race wins and nine podium finishes, and Maini subsequently finished a close second to his then team-mate and Williams F1’s newest recruit George Russell in the final points classification. His performances earned him a coveted nomination as a British Racing Drivers’ Club Rising Star, although that honour has since been complemented by other notable accolades, including the Junior Sportsman of the Year and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) Future Star Awards.