Indian F1 prospect Kush Maini on his improvements in F2 that led to a spot in the Alpine Racing Academy(Exclusive)
Alpine Racing Academy's latest signing Kush Maini feels one of the major reasons behind him improving in F2 was getting the opportunity to show how good he is.
The path to Formula 1 for an Indian driver is not the easiest and Maini has had to overcome multiple obstacles to reach this stage of his career. F1 has opened doors on many fronts when it comes to diversity and Lewis Hamilton, the biggest star in the sport, has been playing a keen role in that.
Having said that, however, F1 continues to be a European sport. For an Asian to make it to the pinnacle of motorsports requires doing the hard yards when it comes to securing sponsors to continue racing.
Kush Maini struggled with the same in 2021 when he could not even race, and that set back his progress through the ranks. The driver raced in Formula 3 after almost a year spent on the bench and that took a toll.
However, he's shown consistent improvements, which came to the spotlight in 2023 when he graduated to Formula 2 and secured a podium in Australia.
In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda, Kush Maini was asked how he was able to turnheads in 2023 and secure a racing academy role with Alpine. The Indian touched on the importance of getting opportunities and how two years of consistent racing in 2022 and 2023 have helped him show how good he is.
He said:
"Honestly, in my junior Formula career as well, I'm grateful to be in the position I am. I'm a very privileged person to be doing what I am doing. But at this level, every bit counts - my junior Formula career, I've never been with a top team with a lot of testing, with a lot of budget. We always tried to cut short because we had to."
Kush Maini also outlined how he's received opportunities to fight at the front only now and that will play a role in him showcasing his talent. He said:
"2021, I didn't race at all, which is like a massive no-no, especially at this age. I was expecting my '22 season in F3 to be difficult. But, you know, initially, when we qualified third, that's when I honestly knew that I have the raw pace to make it.
"But I'll tell you one thing for sure: coming into a season after not racing for a whole year, it's very difficult and I think I've always been the same driver. It's just, I'm getting the opportunities and once we do we can be right up there fighting at the front."
How Alpine Racing Academy helps Kush Maini in his pursuit of reaching F1
Alpine Racing Academy is an academy for young drivers and works as the breeding ground for them to reach F1.
The academy has had some impressive talents graduate to Formula 1 in the last few years. Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, who graduated to a seat in Alfa Romeo, is one such example. F1 rookie and former F2 champion Oscar Piastri also graduated from Alpine's racing academy.
Being part of the racing academy thus gives Kush Maini an opportunity to possibly get a better seat on the Formula 2 grid for next season. To add to this, he will get to drive in a sim and train at much better facilities compared to what he had earlier.
It's worth noting that graduation to Formula 1 is highly unlikely, unless you are a part of the racing academies backed by teams like Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Alpine. For Kush Maini, a spot with the French team could prove to be a stepping stone for great things in the future.