New Delhi: Teenager Arjun Maini joined Thursday the Haas team as one of their development drivers, making him only the third Indian to be part of a Formula One (F1) squad after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok.
Haas signed the Bangalore-based Maini along with American Santino Ferucci as development drivers for the team who made their F1 debut last season.
Like Ferrucci, Maini will be ‘embedded’ with the American outfit, attending races and tests throughout the year while also participating in the team’s simulator program. However, there is no confirmation on when he would make his debut in a Formula One car.
“His (Arjun) debut drive depends on how his GP3 goes. He will start with simulator work in Maranello at the Ferrari simulator,” Chandhok, who also happens to be Maini’s manager, told this agency.
Asked about the significance of this role, Chandhok added: “It’s a good first step into the F1 world and Arjun will learn a lot. How we convert this to a race seat in F1 will largely be down to his season in GP3 which starts this weekend.”
Maini said it was an honour to be part of a F1 team. “All of my racing to date has been with the focus of becoming a F1 driver, and this opportunity puts me one step closer to my goal,” he stated.
Press Trust of India