Points on debut at Bahrain, podium finish in Australia, and P6 in Monaco. It’s safe to say that Kush Maini’s debut season in F2 has been nothing short of spectacular. Driving the #24 car for Campos Racing, the 23-year-old from Bengaluru gained a lot of attention with his consistent performances, pace, and craft in wheel-to-wheel combat.
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And among those who were impressed by Maini this year was former two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen, enough to convince the ‘The Flying Finn’ to throw his considerable support behind the little-known Bengalurean. With his immense experience as a driver, battling the likes of Micheal Schumacher and later advising and mentoring fellow countrymen Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas respectively, Hakkinen will be helping Maini in his quest to reach F1 going forward.
So how did that relationship come about? “It was during the Monaco GP that Mika found out about me (after I finished P6). We first got on a phone call and I was really surprised. Sure I stood out, having been placed in the top 5 in the championship at that time. But still, to have someone of his calibre, calling me was amazing. I have a feeling that he sees something in me, otherwise, I don’t feel he’d be going through all this pain for me,” shares Maini, who is currently in the city for a break. “Mika really believes in my ability. But this is a name plus someone who’s pushing you and trying to make you the best you can be. Stuff like that doesn’t come around every day. It comes from every once in your life. He’s one of the greatest in the sport, you know. And he’s one of the iconic people. And I just, I still have to pinch myself every morning that I’m working with him and speaking with him. And it’s just unreal.”
In the past, one of the most common routes for F1 aspirants to secure a seat on the grid was through F1 driver academies. Jehan Daruvala, the other F1 hopeful from India, currently has backing from Red Bull Racing. Maini’s heroics in F2 this year have meant that he is now part of the French squad Alpine F1 Team. While being part of the Enstone-based team will certainly be a boost for Maini, driver academies don’t necessarily guarantee an F1 seat. But having a former F1 driver like Hakkinen will certainly improve his chances, as evidenced by current F1 driver Oscar Piastri’s relationship with Mark Webber.
With eyes set on a promising second year in F2 in 2024, that he hopes could catapult him into an F1 seat in 2025, Maini hopes to learn from his experiences as a rookie. “The goal is clear, it’s Formula 1 in 2025. And for that I’m going to need to work super hard and finish in the top three to give me a chance to even be considered for a seat,” he says adding, “The start of the 2023 season was great, we got good points. But during the second half of the season, it looked like we fell off a bit...We just didn’t get the race quite right. There were a few unfortunate on-track incidents...So for me, it is just a matter of putting things together, which I have no doubt we can do,” he says.
Despite adapting fairly quickly to the F2 car, showing promising pace in qualifying trim, Maini struggled with managing tyres - crucial for good race pace. “In Hungary, when I started from pole, I was fighting for my life throughout the race, and could only manage P6. I just couldn’t make any progress in that race. It was all about understanding the Pirelli tyres. They’re very sensitive - if they’re in the right operating window, they can be amazing, but if you miss that window even by a little bit, you can struggle quite a bit. So when it comes to my race pace, it’s about fine-tuning,” he concludes.