Photo: BRDC F4
Indian racer Arjun Maini has committed to Van Amersfort Racing for the 2015 season of the FIA F3 European Championship.
Maini, 17, becomes the Dutch team’s third signing, its lineup so far consisting entirely of rookie racers.
The winner of Force India’s ‘One From A Billion’ contest, Maini became a household name in junior single-seaters in his debut season after finishing second in BRDC F4.
He then raced with M2 in the Toyota Racing Series in the off-season, challenging for the championship title. With two wins and two more lost due to post-race penalties, he ended up only fourth after two collisions in the final round.
He tested with British teams Fortec and Carlin during the post-season last year and was arguably the top free agent of the F3 market prior to this announcement.
At Van Amersfoort, he joins fellow rising stars Alessio Lorandi and Charles Leclerc, with the team’s three drivers sharing just two years of car racing between them.
The reliance on youth famously paid off for the Dutch team in 2014 when Max Verstappen won ten races in his rookie season.
2015 FIA F3 European Championship line-up so far
| Team | Drivers |
| Prema Powerteam | Jake Dennis, Lance Stroll, Brandon Maisano, Felix Rosenqvist |
| Carlin | Gustavo Menezes, George Russell, Ryan Tveter, Antonio Giovinazzi, Callum Ilott, Tatiana Calderon |
| Mucke Motorsport | Michele Beretta, Mikkel Jensen |
| Van Amersfoort Racing | Charles Leclerc, Alessio Lorandi, Arjun Maini |
| Double R Racing | Nicholas Pohler, Matt Solomon |
| Signature | Alexander Albon, Dorian Boccolacci |
| Motopark | Sam MacLeod, Markus Pommer, Mahaveer Raghunathan, Sergio Sette Camara |
| Team West-Tec | Fabian Schiller |