Arjun Maini falls short of BRDC F4 title

Sixteen-year-old (17 this December) Arjun Maini missed out on winning this year's BRDC (British Racing Drivers' Club) Formula 4 championship by just three points after a mixed performance at the final round of the BRDC F4 season at Snetterton where he finished 8th, 5th and 5th, respectively in the three races that made up the season ending race weekend.

Maini had entered the final BRDC F4 round 21 points ahead of 16-year-old Briton George Russell and had scored nine podium positions including four wins in the races prior to Snetterton.

Russell, however, capitalized on Maini's struggles - the Bangalore native claimed to suffer a loss in straight-line speed - to finish 7th and second before winning the final race of the weekend.

The young Russell is no stranger to competing in single seat racing cars in Europe, having complimented his BRDC F4 campaign with races in the competitive Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS and Eurocup, where he won one race and scored two podiums in the 16 races he took part in the two series combined. Russell also won the 2012 CIK-FIA European KF3 karting title in 2012.

Maini, who has previously competed in karting championships in Italy as well as in India had competed in the JK Racing India Series last year that features single-spec Formula BMW machines.

Having completed his first full season of car racing overseas with this year's BRDC F4 campaign it is expected that Maini will advance to a higher category of racing next season although it has yet to be confirmed.