Latest news with #AlpineAcademy
News18
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- News18
Who Is Kush Maini? 24-Year-Old Bengaluru Lad Creates History For India in Formula 2
Kush Maini has become the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race, clinching the sprint race title in Monaco. Star India racing driver Kush Maini on Saturday, May 24, became the first from the country to win a race in Formula 2, when he clinched the sprint race title in Monaco, in a historical moment for India as well as the nascent history of motorsports racing in the country. Maini started the sprint race from pole position, thanks to F2's reverse-grid rule, which inverts the top 10 qualifiers for Saturday's race. After bagging 10th place in qualifying for the feature race, Maini capitalised on the opportunity with a perfect performance on the challenging streets of Monaco to bring home massive glory. Who Is Kush Maini? Born in September 2000 in Bengaluru, Kush is the younger brother of Arjun Maini, who was a development driver for the Haas F1 team in 2017 and 2018. He is also the nephew of Chetan Maini, a co-founder and Vice Chairman at SUN Mobility and an Indian business magnate in the electric car industry. advetisement Maini has competed in Formula 4 before, the Formula Renault Eurocup, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship and FIA Formula 3. Maini is an Alpine Academy member, from which Jack Doohan and Romain Grosjean graduated into Formula 1. Maini began his single-seater career nine years back, competing for BVM Racing in the Italian F4 Championship. His campaign began strongly, scoring points in the first six races of the year. After a tough middle part of 2016, Maini scored his first podium in car racing, taking third place at the final race in Vallelunga. He finished the season 16th in the standings and ended up fifth in the rookies' championship. For 2017, Maini moved to Jenzer Motorsport, once again racing in Italian F4 with Giorgio Carrara, Federico Malvestiti, Giacomo Bianchi and Job van Uitert. Maini's sophomore year would prove to be more successful, with two podiums at Imola and Monza, as well as a series of top-five finishes, helping him finish eighth in the end results. In 2018, Maini stepped up to the British Formula 3 Championship with Lanan Racing. The season ended up being a breakthrough year, winning the reverse-grid race at Rockingham and scoring seven further podiums. Intending to remain in the Eurocup in 2020 with three-time champions R-ace GP, Maini changed his plans after COVID-19 and returned to the British F3 series, teaming up with Hitech GP. In October 2023, Maini was announced to be joining the Alpine Academy. He experienced his first Formula One test at the Red Bull Ring, driving the Alpine A522 and describing it as a dream come true. First Published: May 25, 2025, 12:53 IST
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Kush Maini wins Monte Carlo Sprint Race
Kush Maini secured victory in the Monte Carlo Sprint Race for DAMS Lucas Oil, converting pole position around the Principality with a lights-to-flag performance on Saturday (May 24, 2025). The Indian driver held off fellow Alpine Academy talent Gabriele Minì, who finished second for PREMA Racing. Luke Browning inherited third for Hitech TGR after a time penalty for Campos Racing's Arvid Lindblad. This was Kush's second F2 victory, the previous one in the Sprint Race in Hungary in 2024. 'P1, first Indian to win in Monaco too. It's a great honour and a dream come true. I want to say thank you to DAMS and everyone who has supported me. We keep believing!,' said Kush.
News18
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- News18
Kush Maini Scripts History With F2 Sprint Win At Monaco
Last Updated: Maini clocked an incredible 44:57.639 to clinch the top spot at Monte Carlo on Saturday. F2 racer Kush Maini entered history books as he became the first Indian to clinch top spot at Monaco with his impeccable showing on Saturday. Maini clocked an incredible 44:57.639 to win the sprint event representing the DAMS Lucas Oil, a unit of Alpine Academy. The Indian finished ahead of Italian Gabriele Mini and Brit Luke Browning, who finished second and third respectively. 'P1 and first Indian to win at Monaco," a jubilant Maini said following the conclusion of the sprint race, in which his best lap read a time of 1:24.600. 'It's a great honour and dream come true really," the 24-year-old said. 'I want to thank DAMS and everyone who's supported me. We keep believing," the sprint winner added. Mini stood tall atop the podium at the end of the evening as the Indian national anthem blared through the sound system in a monumental moment for motorsport in India. First Published:
NDTV
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Formula 2: Kush Maini Becomes First Indian To Win In Monaco With Sprint Triumph
Kush Maini secured victory in the Monte Carlo Sprint Race for DAMS Lucas Oil, converting pole position at the Circuit de Monaco. The Indian driver held off fellow Alpine Academy talent Gabriele Minì, who finished second for PREMA Racing, and became the first Indian driver to win a race at the iconic venue. "P1, first Indian to win in Monaco too. It's a great honour and a dream come true. I want to say thank you to DAMS and everyone who has supported me. We keep believing!' said Maini. Maini got the perfect start, but Luke Browning fell down the order to fifth by Turn 1. His poor getaway allowed Gabriele Minì to climb up to P2. Into Mirabeau, Lindblad attempted a pass on Jak Crawford for third but contact between the two allowed Browning back past for fourth and ahead of the American. The Campos driver emerged from the tangle in third but was later handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision. With DRS enabled, Minì was on the rear wing of the race leader, the gap hovering at 0.3s in the opening 10 laps while the pair pulled over eight seconds clear of Lindblad in third. The gap was neutralised on Lap 12 when the Safety Car was deployed to recover Joshua Duerksen's AIX Racing car. The Paraguayan driver was left in the barriers ahead of Portier following contact with MP Motorsport's Oliver Goethe out of Mirabeau that left the AIX with race-ending damage. Back to racing conditions entering Lap 15, Maini escaped from DRS range to Minì behind while Lindblad had Browning right on his gearbox in the battle for third on the road. Goethe was on the move again, sneaking his MP car up the inside of Victor Martins at La Rascasse to take P9 on the road. Contact between the pair resulted in a 10-second time penalty for Goethe. With 10 laps to go, Minì was back to within 0.2s of the race leader, while Lindblad had dropped back by over 10 seconds in order to set up a late-race charge to minimise his time penalty. The Red Bull Junior Team driver was told to push on Lap 22, and he immediately upped his pace to put a buffer between himself and Browning. By the final lap, he was on the rear wing of Minì in second with Maini a further couple of seconds up the road. With Lindblad's time penalty applied, it gave Browning P3 and dropped the Campos driver to eighth position. Crawford wound up fourth ahead of Richard Verschoor, Sebastián Montoya, Leonardo Fornaroli, as Lindblad completed the points in P8.
Gulf Today
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
UAE prodigy Al Azhari targets Formula 1
A young UAE motorsport driver hopes his move to Alpine Academy can help him achieve his goal of racing in Formula One in the future and praised Dubai Autodrome for its role in his development so far. Dubai Autodrome is a subsidiary of Union Properties. Dubai-based Keanu Al Azhari, 17, recently joined F1's Alpine Academy and will race for Hitech GP in the GB3 Championship this year after two seasons in Formula 4. It is a move that he describes as a 'milestone' achievement, especially as he comes from a racing family, and he is looking forward to his latest chapter in his racing journey, hoping it can eventually lead to a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport-the F1. 'Joining Alpine is a big milestone in my career and a reflection of all the hard work that I have put in,' he said. 'I'm really proud to be part of the Alpine family, and they will help develop me during my junior single-seater career. Hopefully, this move will be another step towards reaching my career goal of reaching F1 one day, as that is my dream. It's going to be a tough few years, but I am ready to show everyone what I have now.' Al Azhari has made an impressive start to his motorsport career. Last year, he secured four wins, nine podiums, and five pole positions, finishing runner-up in the Formula 4 Spanish Championship, while in the Formula 4 UAE Championship in the same year, he earned two wins, five podiums, and four pole positions to secure third place overall. Before getting behind the wheel, he came through the ranks in karting at Dubai Kartdrome, where he was part of its DAKA programme and raced in some prominent competitions, including the IAME Series UAE. His fond memories of the venue came at a very early age, having followed his father, Karim, in his motorsport journey, and he is grateful for the support he has received from Dubai Autodrome. He said: 'The Dubai Autodrome and Kartdrome have been a big part of my life. My first memories of going to the track were at a very young age, when I was three years old, when my dad, Karim Al Azhari, was racing in local competitions. After finishing my karting career, it was the place where I learned how to drive a racing car and got my racing licence. 'I have taken to the track and driven in so many different layouts of the track, which have helped me develop before I went into the Formula 4 European Series races. I'm really grateful for their support, as they have played a big role in my journey today.' Al Azhari is among a number of young drivers who have transitioned from karting to motorsport, having tested themselves at Dubai Kartdrome. The list includes UAE's Rashid Al Dhaheri, former Dubai Kartdrome O Plate champion, who recently joined Mercedes' Junior Driver Programme, Zack Scoular, competing in British GB3, Jamie Day, an ex-karting champion and part of the Aston Martin drivers' junior team in European Endurance GT3, Edward Jones, who finished third in Indy 500, and Federico Rifai, a multiple-karting champion and former Saudi F4 winner.
