Photo: Dutch Photo Agency
Alpine Academy driver Kush Maini has moved to DAMS to contest his third season of Formula 2 in 2025.
Maini made his F2 debut in 2023 with a quietly impressive campaign for Campos Racing in which he finished 11th in the standings. In the process he landed the support of Alpine as well as that of two-time Formula 1 champion Mika Hakkinen.
He switched to Invicta Racing with high hopes for 2024 and claimed a first pole position in Jeddah and scored his maiden win in the Hungaroring sprint race. He suffered a particularly challenging end to the season in contrast to champion teammate Gabriel Bortoleto, scoring no points in the last five rounds and finishing 13th in the standings, but his contributions earlier in the year did help Invicta to win the teams’ title.
Maini is hopeful that joining DAMS, where he will be team-mate to the similarly experienced Jak Crawford, will lead to a more consistent season.
“I’m thrilled to be joining a team with such a strong pedigree and history in Formula 2 like DAMS,” he said. “I feel like my story in this championship isn’t completed yet, and I know that this is the right crew to help me further my career.
“I’ve taken pole positions and won races, so now it’s all about consistently delivering over the course of a campaign. I can’t wait to get started this week with post-season testing alongside Jak, and to form an experienced team as we look to battle for the championship in 2025.”
DAMS owner Charles Pic said Maini is “a talented driver who has shown excellent raw speed throughout his time in the series”.
“We know that together with our experienced team we can find the correct balance and ensure Kush has a consistent level of performance,” he added. “We believe with Jak and Kush that we have a very strong partnership, which can help us to consistently fight at the front of the grid in 2025.”