Arjun Maini Becomes Youngest Indian to Contest Le Mans

File image of Arjun Maini.

(Photo: Twitter/Altered by The Quint)

The 2019 edition of 24 Hours of Le Mans will give Indian fans something to cheer about when racing superstar Arjun Maini will become only the third Indian to contest the prestigious event, which will witness the participation of over 150 drivers racing across various classes.

Run on the historic Le Sarthe race circuit at France’s Le Mans, known for its long back straight where cars can reach over 300 kmph, modern day competitors complete over 5,000km during the 24 hours time period.

Backed by J.K. Racing, Arjun will compete in the LMP2 category with 19 other entries.

Racing for the British team RLR Msport, Arjun will share his racing duties with the experienced Frenchman Norman Nato, who is a previous Formula 2 winner, and gentleman driver John Ferraro.

At the age of 21, he will also become the youngest Indian ever to contest the race along with legends such as two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso, four-time World Touring Car Champion Andy Prilaux, as well as with former LeMans winners such as Andre Lotterer, Neel Jani and former Formula One race winner Giancarlo Fisichella, to name a few of what is proving to be a very talented lineup of drivers.

Speaking about his weekend, Arjun said:

"Competing in one of motorsport's biggest races is crazy! The atmosphere during testing alone was something special and I can hardly wait for the actual race weekend. The biggest challenge I will face is the fact that I will be in the car much longer than in any of my previous races and I hope to be as consistent as possible as this will be key in gaining a good result. Another interesting aspect with endurance racing is navigating through traffic."

"It's all about risk assessment here, as I need to find the balance between losing time behind a slower car versus gauging if a driver can see me in their mirrors and finding this balance is another crucial aspect to the race. I'm managing my expectations for this race as 24 hours is a very long time in motor racing and anything can happen. Obviously, I also want to make the most of this opportunity as it's not every day you get to be a part of a historic race such as this," he added.

The race takes place over 15-16 June and will be streamed live on the 24 Hours of LeMans app.