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Formula 2 Season Preview: Third Time Lucky for Kush Maini?

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3 months ago

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Formula 2 Season Preview: Third Time Lucky for Kush Maini?

The Formula 2 paddock has made its way to Melbourne for the first-ever race weekend of the 2025 season. Melbourne will host a season opener for Formula 2 for the first time ever, although this will be the third time in a row that Albert Park will host Formula 2.

Read more: Kush Maini joins Alpine F1 Team as Test and Reserve Driver.

Third year in Formula 2 for Kush Maini

Kush Maini is entering his third year in Formula 2, with a third different team as well. His first year in Formula 2 was with Campos Racing, where he finished the season in 11th position with 62 points and a podium. In 2024, Kush switched to Invicta Racing, it was also the year where he started his first full season as an Alpine Academy Driver.

He had a strong start to the year, competing at the front in every session before losing momentum after a few races. It all started in Imola where he just didn’t seem to have enough pace, back to back race weekends took him to Monaco with not enough time for the team to understand what went wrong. It was only later that it was figured out that Kush was driving with a cracked chassis. Kush finished the season in 13th position, with 74 points, 5 podiums, a pole and a win.

Kush Maini during post season testing in 2024 with DAMS
Maini switches to DAMS for 2025 and is positive about how he and the team are already working together – Photo – Formula Motorsports Limited.

For 2025, Kush has made a switch to DAMS Lucas Oil, leaving his previous team, which won the team championship in 2024, and his teammate, who won the driver title, moving up to Formula 1. DAMS finished 6th in the team standings last year, with a combined 7 podiums and a win between both their cars.

Rediscovering his confidence with DAMS

In DAMS, Kush is joining an experienced team where he already feels right at home. DAMS have experience of winning championships before, winning the team’s championship in 2019. DAMS have also sent drivers to Formula 1, as Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi competed with DAMS in their final F2 seasons before making their debut in Formula 1.

“2024 was a year of many ups and downs,” Maini admits. “We had some really good moments, like the Pole and win, lots of podiums but at the end of the day, it didn’t quite click.

“For whatever reason, the second half of the season – not scoring a point, that was a bit confusing for me. I took the decision to move to DAMS, I have a good relationship with Yannick even from previous years.

“That positive feeling is massive. Just having that confidence again and that belief that it can happen, which I feel like I lost a bit midway through 2024. The whole team, my engineer, everyone, we get along really well, and it feels like a very strong team.

Formula 2 Season Preview: Third Time Lucky for Kush Maini?
Kush Maini during pre-season testing at Barcelona (Credits: Kush Maini on X)

“That’s my goal here – to get fully incorporated in the team, spend a lot of time with them to try and understand everything.

“ I might move to a place closer to DAMS, so I can fully give it my all this year. But I’m really excited to be working with them and this new chapter in my career.”

Maini started work with his new team at post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit back in December.

He recalls both parties being very honest with each other, wasting as little time as possible in getting up to speed with how the other works, which has helped his adaptation to the team.

“Testing was very strong. When you join a new team, you want to understand how they work but I feel we were all very blunt with each other, which is the best way to operate in this sport.

“If they wanted something better from me, or if I wanted something better from them, we just said it, and there was no hiding.

“I think that really made our relationship strong and it definitely helped during the tests. I found that confidence again as a driver, which I had lost. That’s very important for me so I feel like we’re on the comeback trail, and there’s some great things in store for us in 2025.”

Learnings from 2024

Kush is very honest about his results from 2024, he admits that last year’s downturn in form was difficult to swallow, but that he’s eager to prove it was a blip and not an irreversible slide.

But Maini says it was an important learning experience he’ll be putting to use this season, as he gets another chance he readily admits many might not have been able to.

“I think after the first three rounds last year, fighting for Pole at each round, I got a bit overconfident and just thought that everything would come easy.

“There were some things during the season that were confusing for me, but it’s just one of those things you have to move on from.

Formula 2 Season Preview: Third Time Lucky for Kush Maini?
Credits: Kush Maini on X

“But I’m grateful that I get another chance to show what I can do. Because I really feel like 2024 wasn’t a proper showing of myself. Many people don’t get another chance so I’m just really grateful for everyone involved that I’ve got one.

“I think 2024 threw everything at me. It gave me highs and very big lows, so I don’t think 2025 could take me by surprise. In that sense, mentally, I feel much stronger, and I feel ready for any obstacle.”

While Maini has prided himself on his one-lap speed since joining Formula 2, DAMS have been most impressive on a Sunday, able to coax the best out of the tyres on many occasions, securing victories and podiums from seemingly difficult grid positions.

It’s one of the biggest appealing factors for Maini in his joining the team, eager to combine his Qualifying prowess with the team’s ability to maximise their package on race days. It might even be the missing ingredient according to the Indian driver, who hopes to take a step forward in race pace consistency in 2025.

“Even in my rookie year, I was on the front row many times. Last year I was in the first three rounds and for this year, I don’t think that will change. Every team is different, but I feel that DAMS have a more even package.

“It was a big choice, but I feel that’s why DAMS are picking me. I need their help with race pace, and they need my help with Qualifying. Together, I feel we can give each other what we need to build a really strong foundation.

“I feel I have a lot left to show – this year is a good chance for me to work with this team and try to challenge for the title.”

“I have Jak next to me, who’s a very quick driver and a race winner as well, and that’s just going to help our chances further. Together, I think we have a really strong team for 2025.”

Overall, Maini is honest about his previous year in the Championship, but it has only fuelled his motivation for this one.

In a new team, he has a fresh start and is optimistic that he’s in the right environment to not only get the best out of himself but to also help the French outfit find their best form.

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Formula 2

Formula 2 Barcelona: Lindblad Shows His Worth, Blazing Verschoor & Unlucky Maini

Arvid Lindblad converts Pole to a win while Verschoor’s pit stop gamble works to perfection in Formula 2 Round 6 at Barcelona.

Published

1 week ago

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June 13, 2025

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Arvid Lindblad celebrates after taking the feature race win in Round 6 of Formula 2 in Barcelona.

Formula 2 made a stop at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the final leg of the triple header. The weekend saw Richard Verschoor take his second win of the season after gambling to change tyres during a late safety car in the sprint race. The gamble saw him go from the back of the grid to leading the race in just a few laps. On Sunday, it was Arvid Lindblad’s time to shine as he converted pole to a win to get his maiden Feature Race win in Formula 2.

Verschoor Storms The Sprint Race

Verschoor qualified P6 on Friday, placing him P5 for the sprint. He was P9 on Lap 7. However, a few good overtakes and a lucky late-race Safety Car prompted him to bolt on the Soft compound tires.

Compared to the top 5 ahead who decided to stay out on new tires, Verschoor was able to make an easy pass on the bunch of them, going from P10 to P1 in just four laps. Even though he was challenged by Alex Dunne till the finish line, he kept his cool and brought it over the finish line to take his second win of the season.

Other Notable Performances From The Sprint

Rookie Alex Dunne qualified P5, but was demoted to P19 after a series of penalties were served. However, the Irishman made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves in the Sprint, including a well-timed Safety Car. He followed the same strategy as Verschoor and charged through the grid for a blazing P2 finish.


Rafael Villagómez started the Sprint dead last, in P22. However, following the trend of the drivers who were on Softs, he too was able to make up good time, putting him P3 for his maiden podium in F2.


The names of Jak Crawford, Sebastian Montoya, Victor Martins, Luke Browning, and finally polesitter for the Sprint, Leo Fornaroli, rounded out the point scorers.


Kush Maini had lined up P8 for the Sprint, and after a phenomenal start to the race, he was sitting in the top 5 comfortably. Unfortunately, the unlucky timing of the Safety Car saw him tumble down the grid, ultimately crossing the line in P16 for the Sprint race.

Lindblad Makes It Two

Arvid Lindblad set the fastest lap time in Friday’s qualifying session. He also got his maiden pole for F2, which put him at the front of the grid for Sunday’s Feature Race. The young Redbull junior kept his nose clean and maintained his cool at the front, landing him his second F2 win. This also gave Campos racing their first ever win on home soil.

Notably, after the weekend, Red Bull requested the FIA to grant Arvid Lindblad a superlicense, which would allow him to participate in Formula 1 sessions. This gives Arvid the oppurtunity to appear in his first-ever Formula 1 Grand Prix; now that Max Verstappen has 11 penalty points on his superlicense, and 1 more may result in a race ban.

Other Notable Performances From The Feature Race

Sebastian Montoya scored his second Feature Race podium on the trot, after the Colombian started from P2 following a solid qualifying performance on Friday. He attempted to challenge Arvid for his position, but a late-race Safety Car neutralised the race, dismissing his attempts.

After winning the Sprint race on Saturday, Richard Verschoor rounded out the podium on Sunday, marking the most points scored throughout the weekend. He started the race in P5, and gained two vital positions in the race, leading him to finish P3.



Jak Crawford and rookie Alex Dunne rounded out the top 5 on Sunday, scoring some valuable points for themselves and their team.

Although Kush Maini started in the top 3, he failed to hold positions after a disastrous start dropped him outside of the top 10. A strong recovery — gaining position after position— got him back into the points, eventually finishing P7. Luck was not on Maini’s side this weekend.



Weekend Results



Standings



Next Round In Austria

Formula 2 has a long break before their next outing in Austria, which runs from 27th through 29th June.
Alex Dunne now has only a 3-point lead in the WDC, with Richard Verschoor trailing close behind. Arvid Lindbald closes the gap to the top and lines up P3 in the standings, 8 points behind Dunne.

As for the WCC, Campos racing now hold a commanding 26-point lead over Hitech TGR, who are closely followed by MP Motorsport, DAMS Lucas Oil and Rodin Motorsport who are in a tight fight for P2.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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Formula 2

Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona

After 2 back to back racing weekends in Imola and Monaco, Formula 2 now heads to Barcelona for the final stop of the triple header.

Published

3 weeks ago

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May 30, 2025

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Start of Formula 2 Feature Race in Barcelona 2024

The Formula 2 paddock makes its final stop of the triple header at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for another weekend of intense racing action. The last 2 weekends at Imola and Monaco have given us unpredictable races, let’s see what Barcelona has to offer this weekend.

Championship Battle Tight as Ever

The championship battle is tight as ever in Formula 2, the top 3 are separated by only 6 points. Luke Browning leads the championship after a good haul of points in Monaco saw him replace Alex Dunne at the top. The Williams Academy driver is yet to win a race, but he has been consistently stacking up points to emerge as a championship contender.

Alex Dunne was leading the championship coming into Monaco and even got the pole position for the Feature Race. A win in the feature race would have meant that he would have extended the lead in the championship. But, an impatient move into Turn 1 to keep his lead resulted in him going into the side of Victor Martins, eventually leading to a pile-up which saw a total of 7 cars retire. He is still second in the championship, 3 points behind Browning.

Kush Riding On a Wave of Confidence

After making history in Monaco, becoming the first indian to win on the streets of the principality, Kush Maini is full of confidence heading into Barcelona, a circuit where he had good success last time around. Last year, Kush got a Sprint race podium and a solid P6 in the feature race at Barcelona. Full of confidence and heading to a circuit he likes, Kush will be looking to get some solid results before the short break.

We’ve had a very rocky start, with a lot of things going wrong. Some things were in our control, some things not, but our season starts today and there’s still a long way to go for us, so this is a positive note to take forwards. – Kush Maini after his win in Monaco.

Hitech TGR vs Campos

The top 2 teams in the standings are separated by just 7 points. Both Hitech and Campos this year have been very consistent in their performances. Hitech, courtesy of Luke Browning, who has been on the podium every single race weekend this season, leads Campos narrowly. But these teams have been in Formula 2 long enough to understand the season is still very long and it all can change in just a couple of weekends.

Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona
Luke Browning leads the championship, having been on the podium every weekend this season. Photo: Formula Motorsports Limited.

Where to watch Formula 2 in India

You can watch all the sessions of Formula 2 live in India on Fancode and F1TV. The schedule for the weekend in IST is given below:

Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X/, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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Formula 2: DAMS Double in Monaco as Maini Makes History

Kush Maini became the first Indian to win around Monaco in Formula 2. Jack Crawford wins on Sunday to make it a DAMS double in Monte Carlo.

Published

4 weeks ago

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May 27, 2025

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Kush Maini after winning in Monaco in Formula 2

When Formula 2 visits Monaco, chaos is almost guaranteed, and this weekend was no exception. The Sprint Race made history as Kush Maini became the first-ever Indian to win on the iconic streets of Monte Carlo. On Sunday, DAMS completed the double, with Jack Crawford winning one of the most unpredictable Feature Races of the season.

READ MORE: Formula 2 Round 5: Streets of Monaco Await an Epic Thriller

Saturday: Maini Writes History for India

Kush Maini was coming to Monaco after having the worst start to his Formula 2 season. In the seven races leading up to Monaco, Kush had a best finish of 10th and had scored just one point. There was something that was just not clicking for him this year. There was no doubt about the pace Maini possesses, this is the same driver who surprised everyone two years ago in his debut season, constantly challenging for top spots in qualifying in a team that was not very competitive that year. But for some reason, by luck or by chance, it just wasn’t working out for him.

Just last weekend in Imola, when Kush was finally getting into rhythm to show what he is capable of, finishing P3 in practice and then challenging for the top 5 in qualifying, he made a mistake and crashed out on his flying lap. That brought out the red flag, and as per regulations, his fastest lap was deleted, dropping him to 13th. That weekend, from then on, was another one to forget. Coming into Monaco, Kush was again looking for that one moment that would give him that confidence boost.

Due to the nature of Monaco, F2 does its qualifying in groups. Drivers are divided into Group A and B based on their competition number, and whoever is the fastest in either group gets pole. But here’s the interesting bit: pole in Monaco is on the left side. So, for example, if a driver from Group A gets pole, then everyone in Group A will start on the left side—i.e., in positions 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on. This means that even if you’re in Group A and your time is good enough to put you P2, you’d still start P3 if the fastest driver from Group B gets to start on the other side of the grid.

Kush was in Group A. His time put him fifth fastest in the group, which meant he would either start P9 or P10 based on the results of Group B. Alex Dunne, in Group B, put in a banker lap to set the fastest time of qualifying, faster by three-thousandths of a second than Victor Martins, who was fastest in Group A. This meant everyone in Group B would start on the left side, i.e., odd-numbered positions and everyone in Group A would start on the right, the even-numbered positions. Kush was supposed to start the Feature Race from P10, but the most important bit: he would start the reverse grid Sprint Race from pole.

Formula 2: DAMS Double in Monaco as Maini Makes History
Kush Maini in Monaco. -Photo: DAMS Lucas Oil

Come the Sprint Race, and Kush made the perfect getaway, keeping his lead going into Turn 1 at lights out. From then on, it was all about keeping control of the race. Alongside him on the front row, Luke Browning had a terrible start, getting swallowed by three cars, allowing Gabriel Minì to overtake him and slot into second, along with Jack Crawford and Arvid Lindblad, who were third and fourth.

Formula 2: DAMS Double in Monaco as Maini Makes History
Maini leads Mini in the Sprint Race. – Photo: Formula Motorsports Limited.

From here on out, all Maini had to do was keep his calm and not make a mistake, which, when you’re driving around Monaco, is not the easiest thing to do. But the Indian driver drove brilliantly to take the chequered flag and claim his first-ever win in Monaco, also the first-ever win for India on the streets of the principality.

Some of Kush’s earlier bad results could be chalked up to bad luck or circumstance, but it was that very same twist of fate that handed him the reverse grid pole and ultimately the victory in Monaco. His lap time was good enough for P7, which under normal conditions would have placed him fourth on the reverse grid. And from there, it’s anyone’s guess how the race might have unfolded.

Formula 2: DAMS Double in Monaco as Maini Makes History
Kush Maini wins in Monaco. Photo: Kush Maini via X

“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!” – Kush Maini after his win in Monaco.

Sunday: Jack Crawford Wins Carnage-Packed Feature Race

Jack Crawford secured his second win of the season in a race full of chaos on the streets of Monaco. A perfectly timed stop before the Safety car helped the American take the win on the streets of Monaco.

Starting on Pole, Alex Dunne had Victor Martins to accompany him on the front row. At the start, Martins got a better launch to be ahead of Dunne into the first corner, but Dunne was not ready to let go of the inside line, and the two made contact, leading to a chain reaction of crashes which saw 5 more drivers get involved and ultimately retire from the race.

After a lengthy Red Flag, Leonardo Fornarolli would lead a rolling restart of the race, with the cars lining up based on the qualifying positions minus the retirements. After the race restarted, Fornarolli led the pack with Lindblad leading Montoya and Lindblad with Crawford in fourth.

Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Dino Beganovic went into the barriers at Casino Square, which would then be upgraded to a full safety car. The timing of the safety car was such that the top 3 had passed the pit entry, but Crawford was at the perfect position to make his stop. The top 3 came around and made their stop,s but Crawford had done enough to take the race lead.

Once the safety car was not withdrawn and the race was red-flagged as the barrier needed repairs. Crawford crossed the line to take the win with Fornaroli in second. Lindblad crossed the line in third but was handed a 5-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to fifth and promoting Montoya to third.

Formula 2: DAMS Double in Monaco as Maini Makes History
Jack Crawford after winning the Feature Race in Monaco. Photo – Formula Motorsports Limited.

Up Next in Formula 2

Formula 2 now heads to Barcelona, to make its final stop of the intense triple header from 30th May to 1st June.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

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