F1 is my only goal, but I know time is limited, says Kush Maini
Kush Maini (PTI Photo)
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.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
4 måter å sjekke om du har råd til å pensjonere deg med 3 millioner kr
Fisher Invest. Norden
Undo
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.
Virat Kohli's love for 'dhaba' food, priority for family & more | RCB bus driver shares stories
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."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
13 minutes ago
- First Post
'My heart sunk...': Hardik Pandya, Neeraj Chopra, sports fraternity mourn Air India Ahmedabad plane crash
A tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has shocked the country. Sports stars like Hardik Pandya, Neeraj Chopra, Sourav Ganguly, and teams like India's hockey and football teams paid tribute to the victims. read more A big tragedy happened today when an Air India plane going from Ahmedabad to London crashed just minutes after takeoff. The flight had 242 people on board and crashed into a medical college hostel near the airport during lunchtime. It was heading to Gatwick Airport in England. The whole country is in shock, and people from all over, including some of the biggest names in Indian sports, have come forward to express their sadness and support. They have shared their thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sports stars react to plane crash incident Hardik Pandya, Neeraj Chopra, Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Ganguly, Suresh Raina, Sania Mirza, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Shubman Gill, and Mohammed Shami have all posted messages online. Even IPL teams like Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the Indian football team, have shown their support on social media. Heartbroken by the visuals coming in from Ahmedabad. My prayers and thoughts are with everyone involved. May God give strength to the families of the victims. Om Shanti. 🙏 — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) June 12, 2025 Heartbreaking to hear about the crash in Ahmedabad. Prayers and strength to the families of those affected 🙏🏻 — hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) June 12, 2025 Extremely saddened by the tragic crash in Ahmedabad. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this catastrophe. — Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) June 12, 2025 Shaken by the heartbreaking tragedy in Ahmedabad. In this hour of grief, sending prayers to all those affected, and strength to the brave souls helping on the ground. 🙏💔 — Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad today. My heartfelt prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those affected. May they find strength in this time of immense grief. — Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) June 12, 2025 Heartbreaking to hear about the crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts are with the families of those affected 🙏🏻 — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pray for all the families💔 — 𝕸𝖔𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖉 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖒𝖎 (@MdShami11) June 12, 2025 Absolutely devastated by the news of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My heartfelt prayers for all the lives lost and strength to the families affected. In this tragic hour, we stand united in grief. 🕯️🙏 #AirIndia #Ahmedabad #Condolences — Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) June 12, 2025 I am utterly shocked and deeply anguished to learn about the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families who are enduring unimaginable pain and loss. In moments like these, words feel so inadequate, but I hope… — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) June 12, 2025 Prayers for the families and people on the Air India flight 🤲🏽 my heart sunk hearing the news of the crash .. praying praying praying — Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The All India Football Federation is deeply saddened by the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad today. The thoughts and heartfelt prayers of the entire football fraternity are with everyone affected by this devastating incident. HELPLINE NUMBERS Ahmedabad Police… — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 12, 2025 India & Argentina hockey teams show respect The India and Argentina hockey teams observed a minute's silence before their match in the FIH Pro League to pay tribute to the crash victims. The @TheHockeyIndia and @ArgFieldHockey teams observed a minute's silence for all the victims of today's tragic Air India plane crash, and their families, ahead of their FIH Hockey Pro League match. Our thoughts are with all the victims and their families. RIP. — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) June 12, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
WTC Final: Pat Cummins claims fifer against South Africa, surpasses Indian great on elite list
NEW DELHI: Australia skipper delivered a breathtaking bowling performance at Lord's, grabbing 6 for 28 to rip through South Africa's batting order and tilt the World Test Championship final heavily in his side's favour. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Cummins's masterclass saw him register his 14th five-wicket haul in Tests and reach a major personal milestone, surpassing Indian great Bishan Singh Bedi and matching with nine five-fors as a Test captain, the second-most in history behind Imran Khan (12). Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. Most Test 5-fers as captain 12 - Imran Khan 9 - Richie Benaud 9 - Pat Cummins 8 - Bishan Singh Bedi 7 - Courtney Walsh 7 - Jason Holder The South African innings collapsed spectacularly on Day 2, skittled out for just 138 in reply to Australia's modest 212. Cummins, who had already taken two wickets in the morning session, returned after lunch to produce a blistering burst, four wickets for one run in just 17 balls, leaving South Africa reeling. Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham had briefly steadied the ship with a 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Bavuma, who started the day on 3 not out, showed some fight with a stylish six off Cummins and a lofted drive off Starc, but was dismissed soon after, caught at cover by a diving Marnus Labuschagne. Poll Should Pat Cummins be considered among the greatest Test captains of all time? Yes, absolutely! Not yet, needs more time No, there are better captains Cummins struck again quickly after lunch, removing Kyle Verreynne lbw and trapping Marco Jansen for a duck in the same over. He then ended Bedingham's 111-ball effort by inducing an edge to the keeper before the lower order completely disintegrated. 'Cricketers Aren't Cattle... ': Harish Thawani on the IPL and Business of Indian Cricket A farcical run-out of Keshav Maharaj only added to South Africa's woes, and Cummins fittingly wrapped up the innings with his 300th Test wicket, dismissing , caught at deep square leg by Beau Webster. With this performance, Cummins not only reaffirmed his status as one of the premier fast bowlers of his generation but also etched his name alongside the game's greats as a captain who leads by fiery example.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mercedes-Benz India redefines luxury with hyper-personalisation & India-specific innovations
Mercedes-Benz India is betting on hyper-personalisation and electrification, with a focus on Indian technology, to enhance its appeal and drive growth in the country's burgeoning luxury car market , the company's top official said. The Germany-based luxury carmaker is offering a hyper-personalisation programme--the Manufacturer Program , including ' Manufaktur '--which allows buyers to customise their vehicles as per their preferences. 'Under this programme, 75 per cent of the customers who buy a car personalise it through the Manufacturer Program, for which they are willing to pay between ₹60 lakh to ₹1.5 crore,' Santosh Iyer , Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, told ETAuto . India's growing affluent customer base is giving rise to the trend of bespoke luxury vehicles. Beyond physical personalisation, digital features such as 'Routines'—an AI-driven car element based on customer habits—are reinforcing this shift. Following the same philosophy, the luxury carmaker today launched the Mercedes-AMG G 63 'Collector's Edition' at ₹4.3 crore. Only 30 units of the limited edition will be available exclusively to existing customers. Staying ahead with Indian technology This launch also marks the first Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India's (MBRDI)contribution to the Mercedes Benz limited edition model, underscoring the company's growing focus on local product development. MBRDI, headquartered in Bengaluru, is at the forefront of integrating advanced technologies such as AI and Gen AI in car manufacturing--from chip-to-cloud operating systems to customer-facing features. 'From the technical involvement across all aspects of engineering, we believe there's hardly any area of research untouched by Indian engineers today,' said Manu Saale, MD and CEO, MBRDI. With its growing engineering capabilities, India is playing a critical role in global automotive innovation that is expected to impact next-generation vehicles worldwide. Aligning with EVs With thegrowing adoption of electric vehicles in the country, the carmaker has kept pace with the trend. Mercedes-Benz India has reported a 73 per cent growth in luxury EV sales from January to May, outpacing the overall industry growth, said Iyer. This EV momentum is driven by top-end models such as the EQS SUV, EQE, and EQS Maybach. Currently, the company does not compete in the entry-level EV segment. 'The brand aims to maintain the DNA of performance (AMG) while offering the benefits of electrification (EQ), showcasing features like the 'G-Turn' in the electric G-Class,' the management added. On the growth front, the German manufacturer expects to report flat to single-digit growth in 2025, in line with earlier projections. This outlook is influenced by factors such as exchange rates, geopolitical concerns, and more.
