Arjun Maini believes his first podium of the 2026 DTM season confirms Ford’s growing strength after he finished third in an eventful Race 1 at the Norisring.
The HRT Ford driver started third and finished third, but his route to the podium proved far from straightforward. Nicki Thiim converted pole into victory, Maro Engel finished second and retook the championship lead, while Maini held off Lucas Auer in the closing laps to secure his first podium of the campaign.
Race 1 also featured several interruptions. Tom Kalender’s crash brought out a Safety Car, before a heavy incident involving Kelvin van der Linde and Maximilian Paul triggered a red flag. Van der Linde climbed from his car unaided and went to the Medical Centre for checks, while Paul was conscious and responsive before being taken to hospital for further checks.
Pit Debrief spoke exclusively to Maini after Race 1 of the 2026 DTM Norisring, with the Indian driver reflecting on the difficulty of the afternoon from inside the car.
“It was a really tough race, actually. Like, start was okay and then had a bit of buffer to Jules [Gounon], so I was quite comfortable. And then the Safety Car came out and then everything closed up.”
“So much happened in the race, I feel like I don’t remember everything. Yeah, but the, I mean, there was the big crash and this was quite scary because I’ve never seen the track in that kind of a state with the walls and stuff. So that was very scary from inside the car.”
“So I hope, yeah, I mean, I heard the news that they’re okay. But Max probably has a broken, some broken bones. So I hope, I wish him a quick recovery.”
“But yeah, then after the red flag went out, it was pretty easy in the beginning because Thomas [Preining] was defending from Luggi [Lucas Auer]. But as soon as Luggi was released, then he was really quick. So I had to just make no mistakes towards the end.”
“And somehow I didn’t. So yeah, I managed to keep the podium.”
Maini rewards Ford after Lausitzring podium
Maini’s podium carried extra significance after he had come close to a stronger result at the Lausitzring. He had started Sunday’s race from pole there but eventually finished fourth, while teammate Finn Wiebelhaus delivered Ford’s first DTM podium for 37 years.
At the Norisring, Maini finally added his own podium to Ford’s improving 2026 DTM campaign.
When asked by Pit Debrief what the result meant personally, Maini said the team had shown a clear positive trend.
“I mean, it’s been a really good trend, I would say. I was quite disappointed in Lausitzring. But it was the way the situation was with the tyres.”
“That’s how it played out. But yeah, I’m glad to have been given this podium also for my crew because the other crew got the podium in Lausitzring. So it’s just great.”
“And it’s great atmosphere within the team as well. So we’re getting stronger. Let’s see how it goes.”
“We’re moving up in the championship as well. I’m excited for the rest of the season. Of course, there’s going to be tracks where we’re going to be strong.”
“And some tracks, I think that’s not going to suit us very well. But I think it’s going to be similar for everyone. Because in the end, we’re much stronger in general compared to last year everywhere.”
“So let’s see. Let’s see what the future brings.”
Pit stop issue fails to derail podium push
Maini’s race became more complicated during the pit window. A problem with one of the left-side tyres cost him time and left him with a 10-second stop, briefly raising the possibility that he could lose the podium fight.
However, Maini defended his crew after the race and explained that HRT Ford had needed to reshuffle its pit stop line-up shortly before the start.
When Pit Debrief asked whether the delay had created a heart-stopping moment, Maini said he felt proud of how the team handled the situation.
“To be honest, I’m very proud of the guys because we had a sick member of our crew and he couldn’t do the pit stop. So we had a whole jumble of the crew and just before the race with no practice.”
“So the fact that they pulled it off, it’s massive respect to the guys. And I’m only grateful that they managed to do that.”
“And yeah, it’s how the situation was. We were handicapped, but they managed to pull it off. So I’m grateful for their job and also the podium.”
Maini: Half-committing “ends in a mess”
The Norisring’s short layout and narrow corners create difficult decisions for drivers in wheel-to-wheel combat. Maini had to attack and defend at different stages of Race 1, including a crucial closing stint in which he resisted pressure from Auer for third.
Pit Debrief asked how he decides whether a risky move is worth attempting around such a tight circuit.
“It’s weird. It’s like a gut feeling sort of. And the thing is, you have to commit.”
“Like if you think it’s 90 percent, it never works out and you end up crashing. I think it’s a little bit like my move on Lugi. I really had to go for it there, otherwise it was not going to end well.”
“Because sometimes like half committing is worse because the other person doesn’t know what you want to do and you’re not showing your intention.”
“So it’s difficult when you’re in such a position and you want to get points for the championship. But yeah, it happens very intuitively, I feel.”
“But yeah, once you decide to go for it, you have to go for it. Otherwise, it ends in a mess.”
That approach helped Maini survive the late pressure. Auer closed in during the final laps, but the Ford driver kept his position and completed the podium behind Thiim and Engel.
Maini wants DTM street race in India
Maini also looked beyond the Norisring when asked about DTM’s potential to grow internationally.
As the only Indian driver on the grid, he believes the series could find strong support in his home country, especially with the right venue.
When Pit Debrief asked which circuits he would like to race at in the DTM, Maini gave a clear answer.
“Anywhere in India and a street circuit would be so cool.”
When Macau came up as another street-circuit possibility, Maini immediately returned to the idea of taking DTM to India.
“I should come to India and do a street circuit there.”
“I think that would be cool. And I think DTM would be very popular in India.”
For now, Maini’s focus remains on turning Ford’s improved pace into more results. His Norisring podium showed that the Mustang GT3 can fight near the front, even on a chaotic afternoon where Safety Cars, a red flag, a pit-stop disruption and late pressure all threatened to undo his race.
Maini still had to make the final laps count. He did exactly that, and his first podium of the season gave both him and HRT Ford another clear sign of progress.
