Arjun Maini Impresses in Nurburgring Qualifying Session

Maini Shines in Nurburgring Qualifying

Arjun Maini from India showcased an outstanding performance while driving for the Haupt Racing Team (HRT) Ford Performance during Qualifying 2 for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. He finished ahead of four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen in a highly competitive GT3 field.

In the SP9 category, Maini achieved a remarkable lap time of 8:11.278 in the #64 Ford Mustang GT3 during the second qualifying session at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. This placed him fourth overall in SP9, surpassing Verstappen's Mercedes-AMG GT3, which recorded a time of 8:11.614. This year's event features a packed grid of 161 cars, making it one of the most diverse in global motorsport history, with over 20 classes represented.

'A Positive Start': Maini on His Performance

Maini expressed his satisfaction with the performance, stating, "It's always special to be competitive at the Nurburgring because the level here is incredibly high. The SP9 field is stacked with factory drivers and top teams, so to put together a lap like that feels really satisfying. The car felt strong throughout the session, and we've been making good progress with the setup. There's still work to do before the race, but it's definitely a positive start for us."

Navigating a New Programme with Ford and HRT

Maini is competing in the Nurburgring 24 Hours alongside teammates Fabio Scherer, David Schumacher, and Frank Stippler. He joined HRT during its transition from Mercedes-AMG to Ford's new Mustang GT3 programme. As a factory driver, Maini has been involved in Ford's GT3 journey from the beginning, with 2025 marking the debut of the Mustang GT3 Evo package.

Ahead of the event, Maini shared his excitement about the challenges of building a new programme with Ford and HRT, saying, "It's cool because I did it together with them as well. I joined Ford as a factory driver, and it's been good to be on this journey. It's always a risk when you leave such a set system and a car that works in this. But again, for me and for the team, it was quite a cool challenge: to be given the opportunity to run such a cool car around Europe in amazing championships has been special. We were stronger than expected, and I think we're ready to build on that this year."

Looking Ahead to the Endurance Race

The Nurburgring 24 Hours is set to continue with its final qualifying session before the endurance race kicks off this weekend at the iconic Nordschleife. Maini and HRT Ford Performance aim to translate their impressive pace into a notable result against some of the most renowned names in global GT racing.