MUMBAI: "There are more bad days than good days in sports," says Kush Maini.
That one line from the 24-year-old aptly sums up how difficult it is to survive in the world of motorsport. But just as he was struggling to find momentum in the 2025 Formula Two season, came the victory of his life—at Monaco, late last month.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!It wasn’t the first win of his F2 career. The Bengaluru lad’s maiden win came at the Hungaroring last year. But winning at Monaco—becoming the first Indian ever to do so—marked a major moment of pride. Currently in his third season in the F1 feeder series, Maini knows that building on the Monaco success is crucial to landing an F1 seat. "I haven’t shown the kind of performance that warrants a seat in F1. I’m fast enough, I’ve won races, but you need to fight for championships," said Maini, who currently sits 11th in the standings with 21 points.
To put that into context, Gabriel Bortoleto—Maini’s teammate last season—won the 2024 championship and is now racing in F1 with Sauber.
He knows the clock is ticking as he chases an F1 seat. "F1 is my only goal, but I know time is limited. If I had to put a timeframe, I’d say it has to happen within the next two years," said a hopeful Maini, who was promoted to Alpine F1 reserve driver at the start of the season.
Whenever Maini feels bogged down, he knows he has people in his corner to keep his spirits high. One of them is Gautam Singhania, chairman and managing director of Raymond, whose JK Racing has backed Maini for years. In fact, it was Singhania who convinced two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen to mentor the young racer.
Maini’s association with Hakkinen began just last year, but the Finnish legend has made a meaningful impact. "He’s like my pillar. He’s the guy who keeps pushing. He’s a big reason I’m still so determined."
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