Meuspath (Germany), Jun 16 (IANS): Mercedes-AMG driver Arjun Maini will be looking to claim his second podium finish when he competes in the third round of the 2022 DTM Championship, set to take place at the historic Imola race circuit in Italy this weekend.

The Bangalore-based driver came agonizingly close to securing his second podium in the series at the previous round at the Lausitzring when he finished fourth during the first race of the weekend. The Indian driver will be looking to go one better when he gets behind the wheel of the Paul Mercedes-AMG GT-3 run by the Haupt Racing Team.

Maini, who made his DTM debut last year, has displayed a lot of tenacity during his time in the competitive series and will look to build on his potential and raw pace as he seeks to move up the championship standings. The Mercedes driver has set a clear goal for himself with a podium finish the target for the weekend, his management team informed in a release on Thursday.

"We have performed solidly in recent races, and I would love to back that form up in Imola," Maini was quoted as saying in the release.

"Our goal is the podium and I'm confident in both my abilities and the teams' to ensure that we achieve our target during this weekend's race. Imola is such a historic track with a mix of a long, straight as well as some very challenging corners, so it will be imperative for us to be at the top of our game over the course of the weekend," he added.

With the stakes set for the weekend, Maini has a significant challenge in front of him. This year's iteration of the DTM Championship hosts the largest grid in the championship's history and has already seen the likes of multiple WRC champion Sebastian Loeb make an appearance.

HRT is currently fourth in the championship, level on points with third-placed Mercedes-AMG Team Winward, and the outfit will be looking to move up the order after claiming the championship last year.