Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Kush Maini has paid tribute to the invaluable support that the Alpine Formula 1 team’s academy and ART Grand Prix provided after what he described as a “catastrophic” period in Formula 2.
The Indian driver signed with Alpine back in 2023 during a promising rookie F2 campaign with Campos Racing, ahead of a switch to Invicta Racing for 2024.
In what he described to be a “pretty much catastrophic year for me” Maini finished 13th overall while his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto stormed to championship glory.
Despite this, the faith that Alpine showed by handing Maini a test session in Abu Dhabi restored his belief in his own ability, and he describes its support as “massive”.
“I think obviously the first year I had in F2 fighting for pole most of the time was very good,” he said. “We struggled a bit in the races but overall I would say Alpine have definitely been a key factor in helping me keep my confidence.
“After ’24, a pretty much catastrophic year for me in F2, you’re then jumping into the car in Abu Dhabi and being on pace with some great drivers and the engineers being happy. That gave me the confidence that I do have the pace and I haven’t lost it and that’s a huge part that Alpine have played over the years.”
More recently, Maini finds himself alongside F2 championship leader Gabriele Mini and Alex Dunne in the Alpine ranks but the team’s reserve driver insists the competition is healthy among the trio.
“We’re all quite mature and me and Gabi have a good relationship and Alex now as well,” said Maini. “Everyone is quick and competitive but in the end we all respect each other and we have our chances on track to let our performance talk.
“They’re a very professional team, they’ve been around for ages and they know what can happen with rivalries. The way they’ve done it is we are all solely focused on ourselves and each person is growing in different ways and has different things to deal with and improve on. It’s very healthy competition.”
Signing with ART for his fourth campaign in F2, Maini complemented the dynamic within the team and the seamless transition to the French outfit.
“We’re very honest with each other,” Maini added. “There’s no beating around the bush, we get straight to the point and I feel at home. I get along with everyone really well and the bond is just getting stronger and stronger.
“I think this has definitely been the easiest transition, whether that’s down to experience or the team, but I definitely found it easier to settle in.”
After a dominant lights-to-flag victory in the Barcelona sprint race, Maini believes his ART team has the potential to fight at the front every weekend.
“We know the team has a fast car and I know I can put it on pole and be the quickest. Now it’s just about getting that symphony and making it work every time we hit the track not just sometimes.
“I think if we do show our potential every weekend, I think we’ll be at the sharp end most of the time we just need to get that part right.”