Imola F4: Maini endures tough weekend with lone points finish

The Indian started the penultimate weekend of the season with 18th and 15th places in the two practice sessions, among the 29 starters.

In the first qualifying for Race 1, Maini ended 12th, mere 0.685s off polesitter Prema's Mick Schumacher's time.

The BVM Racing driver repeated similar performance in the second qualifying clocking the 12th fastest time, this time 0.624s off pole driver Jenzer's Marcos Siebert.

Fight for points in Race 1

The JK Tyre-backed driver started the first race on Saturday from 11th and made a rocketing start to seventh by Lap 2.

Maini then had race-long battles with Jenzer's Diego Ciantini as well as Bhaitech Sri's Diego Bertonelli in separate batches.

At the start, Ciantini went past the Indian for eighth on Lap 4, with Maini losing another place to Bertonelli on Lap 6, but stayed eighth after Schumacher dropped out from the lead.

Maini hung on to eighth for the rest of the race and benefited from penalties to Bertonelli and Siebert, promoting the Indian teen to sixth overall and fourth in rookie class.

Jenzer's Job Van Uitert won the race from Prema's Juri Vips and VSR's Simone Cunati, with Vips also taking the rookie honours.

Difficult run in Sunday races

For Race 2 on Sunday, Maini lost a place at the start to 13th. On Lap 6, the BVM driver moved up two places to 11th when two drivers ahead dropped out.

But three laps later Maini was forced to retire with a broken wing, ending his race prematurely, as van Uitert won with Bhaitech Sri's Lorenzo Colombo second, also the top rookie driver and Siebert third.

Meanwhile, it was fightback for Maini in the final race starting from 26th, the Indian clawed back up into the top 20 but was unable to score any points.

Maini finished 15th making up 11 places and 10th best rookie, but with only top eight scoring in Race 3, the Indian missed on any points.

VSR's Marino Sato claimed his maiden win from DR Formula's Petrov Artem and Cram Motorsport's Leonard Hoogenboom, with Artem ending as the best rookie.

At the end of sixth round, Maini drops to fifth in the rookie standings with 170.5 points as Vips leads with 212 points. The Indian is 15th in the main standings with 47 points.