Nineteen-year-old Arjun Maini was signed on by Formula One team Haas as a development driver, on Thursday. Maini will be paired with 18-year-old American racer Santino Ferrucci.
“It’s an honor to be a part of Haas F1 Team’s driver development program,” Maini said in a release. “All of my racing to date has been with the focus of becoming a Formula One driver, and this opportunity puts me one step closer to my goal. I am eager to learn, understand and experience how a Formula One team operates. Everything I learn can be used immediately in GP3 while preparing for my ultimate goal of Formula One.”
The 19-year-old is currently competing in in the GP3 series for Jenzer Motorsport after moving to Europe from Bangalore in 2011 whenn he won the “One in a Billion” talent hunt for Indian drivers. He won the 2013 Formula BMW Super Six Series in Asia and finished second overall in the 2014 BRDC Formula 4 championship
Maini will be embedded with the team and will attend races and events throughout the year, while participating in the team’s simulator programme. Haas made its debut in 2016 and finished eighth in the constructors standings.
“As Haas F1 Team continues to mature, we must look toward our future and develop potential talent,” said Guenther Steiner, team principal, Haas F1 Team. “Arjun was successful in karting and has transitioned well to various Formula series and now GP3. We’ll keep a keen eye on his progress this year.”
Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok remain the only two Indians who have raced on the Formula One circuit.