Kush Maini
Kush Maini | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 22, 2000 Bengaluru, India |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Known for | Competing in FIA Formula 2 Championship, reserve driver roles in Formula One and Formula E |
Kush Maini (; born 22 September 2000) is an Indian racing driver currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with DAMS under the banner of the Alpine Academy. Additionally, he holds reserve driver roles in Formula One for the Alpine squad and in Formula E representing Mahindra.
Maini's motorsport journey encompasses experience across several series, including Formula 4, the Formula Renault Eurocup, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, and FIA Formula 3. He remains an active member of the Alpine Academy.
Originating from a well-established Punjabi business family based in Bengaluru, Kush is the younger sibling of Arjun Maini, who previously competed in GP3 and Formula 2. He is also related to Indian industrialist Chetan Maini as his nephew and is the grandson of Sudarshan Maini, founder of the Maini Group of industries. His development has been guided by two-time Formula One world champion Mika Häkkinen.
2016
Maini launched his single-seater career in 2016 with BVM Racing, participating in the Italian F4 Championship. He consistently scored points during his first six races and achieved his inaugural podium by finishing third in the season finale at Vallelunga. He concluded the year ranked 16th overall and fifth among rookies.
2017
For the 2017 season, Maini switched to Jenzer Motorsport to continue competing in Italian F4 alongside drivers like Giorgio Carrara and Job van Uitert. Demonstrating marked progress, he earned two podium finishes at Imola and Monza, alongside several top-five results, ultimately securing eighth place in the championship standings.
2018
In 2018, Maini stepped up to the British Formula 3 Championship with Lanan Racing. His breakthrough campaign featured a victory in a reversed-grid race at Rockingham plus seven additional podium appearances, culminating in third place overall.
2019
Maini progressed to the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019, driving for M2 Competition. He made an immediate impact by securing a podium on debut at Monza, though he was unable to replicate this success later in the season. Maintaining consistent points finishes enabled him to end sixth overall with a total of 102 points, making him the second-best rookie that year.
2020
Originally slated to remain in the Eurocup with three-time champions R-ace GP, Maini altered his plans amid the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he returned to the British F3 series with Hitech Grand Prix. Engaged in a title fight against rival Kaylen Frederick, he secured three wins at circuits including Brands Hatch, Donington Park, and Snetterton, ultimately finishing as runner-up in the championship.
2021
Maini commenced 2021 racing for new Indian team Mumbai Falcons in the F3 Asian Championship, where he partnered fellow Formula 2 competitor Jehan Daruvala. Despite a difficult start to the season, he achieved consistent points finishes in seven of his last nine races, including a podium at Abu Dhabi, which lifted him to eleventh place overall.
Without securing a full-time drive for the primary season, his sole additional outing was a one-off appearance with ARC Bratislava’s LMP2 squad during the 6 Hours of Bahrain event in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship.
FIA Formula 3 Championship
In 2022, Maini progressed to compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, racing for MP Motorsport alongside teammates Caio Collet and Alexander Smolyar. He conveyed excitement about joining MP Motorsport, highlighting their proven success in nurturing rookie talent.
Although he secured third on the grid in Bahrain, Maini was forced to start both races from the back due to a weighbridge infraction. At Imola, he earned his initial points by finishing fifth, followed by additional points at Silverstone where he narrowly missed out on a podium spot in the sprint race. His most notable performance came at Hungary, where after qualifying sixth, he achieved third place in the sprint race and seventh in the feature race, marking his only podium of the season. Maini concluded the year 14th in the championship standings with a total of 31 points.
2023
Kush Maini was officially announced as a driver for Campos Racing in the 2023 F2 season during November 2022 and took part in the post-season testing at Yas Marina Circuit. At the Bahrain season opener, he qualified sixth and demonstrated strong pace by running second in the feature race before finishing fourth. In Jeddah’s sprint race, Maini secured fifth place, positioning himself as the highest-ranked rookie early in the championship.
Maini claimed his maiden podium with a third-place finish in Melbourne’s sprint race while ending ninth in the feature event. The Baku round saw him collect points with fourth and fifth places, elevating him to fifth overall in the standings. The Monaco weekend proved challenging; following a spin in the sprint race, a well-timed red flag allowed him to finish sixth in the feature race. He encountered his first scoreless weekend at Barcelona and struggled through subsequent rounds due to on-track incidents and a downturn in Campos Racing’s competitiveness, despite solid qualifying performances.
He returned to scoring positions with a sixth-place finish in Budapest’s sprint race and an eighth place at Spa-Francorchamps’ feature race. At Monza, Maini qualified sixth and finished fifth in the sprint race but retired from the feature after a collision. For the Yas Marina finale, he qualified third but received a penalty during the sprint race and ultimately finished ninth in the feature event. He wrapped up the season 11th overall with 62 points and one podium, surpassing fellow Indian competitor and experienced F2 driver Jehan Daruvala.
2024
Entering his sophomore Formula 2 campaign, Maini signed with Invicta Racing for 2024, partnering with reigning F3 champion and McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto. At Bahrain, he recorded the fastest qualifying lap but was later disqualified due to a technical violation. After finishing thirteenth in the sprint race, Maini staged an impressive recovery by climbing fourteen places to secure seventh in the feature race.
During the Jeddah round, Maini qualified second behind Oliver Bearman, who subsequently forfeited pole position after withdrawing to participate in the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
2025
In the 2025 season, Maini transitioned to DAMS Lucas Oil and teamed up with Jak Crawford. Although the beginning of the year was challenging, he achieved his second Formula 2 win during the Monaco sprint race, starting from the reverse-grid pole position.
Formula One
Maini became a member of the Alpine Academy in October 2023. He made his initial Formula One test appearance at the Red Bull Ring, piloting the Alpine A522 and described the experience as "a dream come true." Throughout the following six months, he took part in additional testing sessions at Imola, Yas Marina, and Lusail. In March 2025, Maini was appointed as a test and reserve driver for Alpine's season, sharing duties with Paul Aron, Franco Colapinto, and Ryō Hirakawa.
Formula E
In November 2023, Maini was named reserve driver for Mahindra Racing for the 2023–24 Formula E season. He competed in the rookie test held in Berlin that year and was again selected to participate in rookie free practice at the 2025 Diriyah ePrix, where he recorded the fastest time. Maini returned to Mahindra in July to take part in the Berlin rookie test once more, continuing to show impressive form.
Karting career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Asian Karting Open Championship - Mini ROK | 4th | |
| JK Tyre National Karting Championship - Rotax Micromax | Maini Racing | 1st | |
| All Stars Karting Championship Malaysia - Yamaha Cadet | SRV Motorsports | ||
| 2012 | 23° Trofeo Andrea Margutti - 60 Mini | Baby Race | 5th |
| 41° Trofeo delle Industrie - 60 Mini | 3rd | ||
| WSK Super Master Series - Mini | 8th | ||
| WSK Euro Series - 60 Mini | 14th | ||
| ROK Cup International Final - Mini ROK | 7th | ||
| 2013 | WSK Super Master Series - Mini | 3rd | |
| 24° Trofeo Andrea Margutti - 60 Mini | 28th | ||
| WSK Euro Series - 60 Mini | Babyrace Srl | 2nd | |
| 42° Trofeo delle Industrie - KF3 | 15th | ||
| 2014 | WSK Champions Cup - KF Junior | 38th | |
| CIK-FIA European Championship - KF Junior | Babyrace Srl | 31st | |
| 25° Trofeo Andrea Margutti - KF Junior | Baby Race | 16th | |
| CIK-FIA World Championship - KF Junior | RB Kart Technology SA | 4th | |
| Italian ACI Karting Championship - KF3 | 13th | ||
| 2015 | WSK Champions Cup - KF Junior | 4th | |
| 20° South Garda Winter Cup - KF Junior | Forza Racing | 33rd | |
| WSK Night Edition - KF Junior | 11th | ||
| 26° Trofeo Andrea Margutti - KF Junior | 1st | ||
| WSK Super Master Series - KF Junior | 7th | ||
| CIK-FIA European Championship - KF Junior | 10th |
Overview of racing career
2016 Italian F4 Championship BVM Racing 21 0 0 0 1 53 16th 2017 Italian F4 Championship Jenzer Motorsport 21 0 0 0 2 114 8th 2017 ADAC Formula 4 Championship Jenzer Motorsport 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC† 2018 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship Lanan Racing 23 1 2 4 8 366 style=background:#FFDF9F; 3rd 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup M2 Competition 20 0 0 0 1 102 6th 2020 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship Hitech Grand Prix 24 3 2 1 12 448 style=background:#DFDFDF; 2nd 2021 F3 Asian Championship Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd. 14 0 0 2 1 55 11th 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 ARC Bratislava 1 0 0 0 0 1 30th 2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship MP Motorsport 18 0 0 0 1 31 14th 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship Campos Racing 26 0 0 0 1 62 11th 2023–24 Formula E Mahindra Racing Reserve driver 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship Invicta Racing 28 1 1 1 5 74 13th 2024–25 Formula E Mahindra Racing Reserve driver 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship DAMS Lucas Oil 11 1 0 0 1 21* 11th* 2025 Formula One BWT Alpine F1 Team Test & reserve driver| Season | Series | Team | Starts | Victories | Pole positions | Fastest laps | Podium finishes | Points scored | Final standing |
|---|
† Guest driver status, not eligible to earn points.
Season ongoing.
Full results in Italian F4 Championship
(legend) (Pole positions shown in bold) (Fastest laps indicated in italics)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | Final position | Points earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | BVM Racing | MIS 1 8 |
MIS 2 |
MIS 3 10 |
MIS 4 8 |
ADR 1 |
ADR 2 7 |
ADR 3 6 |
ADR 4 10 |
IMO1 1 15 |
IMO1 2 12 |
IMO1 3 13 |
MUG 1 18 |
MUG 2 Ret |
MUG 3 16 |
VLL 1 26 |
VLL 2 8 |
VLL 3 3 |
IMO2 1 6 |
IMO2 2 Ret |
IMO2 3 13 |
MNZ 1 Ret |
MNZ 2 7 |
MNZ 3 21 |
16th | 53 |
| 2017 | Jenzer Motorsport | MIS < br >1 < br > Ret | MIS < br >2 < br > 11 | MIS < br >3 < br > 24 | ADR < br >1 < br > 4 | ADR < br >2 < br > 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
8th |
114 |
Full ADAC Formula 4 Championship Results
(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions) (Races in italics signify fastest laps)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Final Position | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Jenzer Motorsport | OSC1 1 |
OSC1 2 |
OSC1 3 |
LAU 1 |
LAU 2 |
LAU 3 |
RBR 1 9 |
RBR 2 20 |
RBR 3 Ret |
OSC2 1 |
OSC2 2 |
OSC2 3 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
NÜR 3 |
SAC 1 |
SAC 2 |
SAC 3 |
HOC 1 |
HOC 2 |
HOC 3 |
NC† | 0 |
† Maini participated as a guest driver and was therefore not eligible to earn championship points.
Full BRDC British Formula 3 Championship Results
(key) (Pole positions are marked in bold) (Fastest laps appear in italics)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Final Position | Points Accumulated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Lanan Racing | OUL 1 |
OUL 2 |
OUL 3 |
ROC 1 |
ROC 2 |
ROC 3 |
SNE 1 |
SNE 2 |
SNE 3 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
SIL 3 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
SPA 3 |
BRH 1 |
BRH 2 |
BRH 3 |
DON 1 |
DON 2 |
DON 3 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
SIL 3 |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" 3rd | style="background:#FFDF9F;" 366 |
Full Formula Renault Eurocup Results
(key) (Entries in bold denote pole position) (Entries in italics signify fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | M2 Competition | MNZ 1 3rd |
MNZ 2 5th |
SIL 1 18th |
SIL 2 6th |
MON 1 10th |
MON 2 11th |
LEC 1 6th |
LEC 2 21st |
SPA 1 5th |
SPA 2 9th |
NÜR 1 7th |
NÜR 2 8th |
HUN 1 15th |
HUN 2 5th |
CAT 1 Retired |
CAT 2 12th |
HOC 1 7th |
HOC 2 4th |
YMC 1 6th |
YMC 2 Retired |
6th | 102 |
Full F3 Asian Championship Results
(key) (Entries in bold represent pole position) (Entries in italics indicate fastest lap among top ten finishers)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final Standing | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd. | DUB 1 21st |
DUB 2 "Did Not Start" |
DUB 3 20th |
ABU 1 12th |
ABU 2 11th |
ABU 3 17th |
ABU 1 8th |
ABU 2 7th |
ABU 3 8th |
min-width:30px; background:#CFCFFF; text-align:center; font-size:85%;(DUB) DUB-1 "Not Classified" |
min-width:30px; background:#EFCFFF; text-align:center; font-size:85%;(DUB) DUB-2 "Retired" |
min-width:30px; background:#DFFFDF; text-align:center; font-size:85%;(DUB) DUB-3 "5th" |
min-width:30px; background:#FFDF9F; text-align:center; font-size:85%;(ABU) ABU-1 "3rd" |
min-width:30px; background:#DFFFDF; text-align:center; font-size:85%;(ABU) ABU-2 "4th" |
min-width:30px; background:#DFFFDF; text-align:center; font-size:85%;(ABU) ABU-3 "8th" |
11th | 55 |
Full FIA World Endurance Championship Results
(key) (Bold denotes pole position; italics signify fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Category | Car Model | Power Unit | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Final Position | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ARC Bratislava | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | SPA | ALG | MNZ | LMS | BHR 10 |
BHR | 30th | 1 |
Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship Results
(key) (Bold marks pole position; italics indicate fastest lap among top ten finishers)
| Year | Team | 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! 18 | Final Standing | Points Accumulated | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | MP Motorsport | BHR SPR 15 |
BHR FEA 16 |
IMO SPR 20 |
IMO FEA 5 |
CAT SPR 17 |
CAT FEA 25 |
SIL SPR 4 |
SIL FEA 22 |
RBR SPR 19 |
RBR FEA 25† |
HUN SPR 3 |
HUN FEA 7 |
SPA SPR 13 |
SPA FEA Ret |
ZAN SPR 18 |
ZAN FEA 11 |
MNZ SPR 11 |
MNZ FEA 13 |
14th | 31 |
( key) (Bold signifies pole position; italics denote fastest lap points for top ten finishers)
| Year | Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8 | Round 9 | Round 10 | Round 11 | Round 12 | Round 13 | Round 14 | Round 15 | Round 16 | Round 17 | Round 18 | Round 19 | Round 20 | Round 21 | Round 22 | Round 23 | Round 24 | Round 25 | Round 26 | Round 27 | Round 28 | Final Position | Points Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:F2 | Campos Racing | BHR SPR 7 |
BHR FEA 4 |
JED SPR 5 |
JED FEA 12 |
MEL SPR 3 |
MEL FEA 9 |
BAK SPR 4 |
BAK FEA 5 |
MCO SPR 13 |
MCO FEA 6 |
CAT SPR 18 |
CAT FEA 17 |
RBR SPR 16 |
RBR FEA Ret |
SIL SPR 13 |
SIL FEA Ret |
HUN SPR 6 |
style=background:#CFCFFF | [[2023 Budapest Formula 2 round | HUN | FEA | ]] |
... (continued for remaining rounds) ... |
!11th | !62 |
|
16|| C||16||18||10||10||13||21||1||6||16||7||17||16||4||16||NC||20||9||11|||||||||| |
!13th* | 26* |
|---|
Season ongoing.
External links
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- Living people
- 2000 births
- Indian racing drivers
- BRDC British Formula 3 Championship drivers
- Formula Renault Eurocup drivers
- F3 Asian Championship drivers
- Sportspeople from Bengaluru
- Italian F4 Championship drivers
- ADAC Formula 4 drivers
- FIA World Endurance Championship drivers
- FIA Formula 3 Championship drivers
- BVM Racing drivers
- Jenzer Motorsport drivers
- M2 Competition drivers
- Hitech Grand Prix drivers
- MP Motorsport drivers
- Karting World Championship drivers
- Prema Powerteam drivers
- FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers
- Campos Racing drivers
- Mumbai Falcons drivers
- Virtuosi Racing drivers
- DAMS drivers