Who is Kush Maini, the Indian runner named the test and reserve pilot of the Alpine Formula 1 team? – Firstpost

Kush Maini entered the story Tuesday after Alpine named the 24 -year -old Indian runner as the test and reserve pilot for the Formula 1 2025 season. The Alpine Academy pilot thus becomes the third Indian to enter F1 even if a first race in the most elite open wheeled event is still a while.

“I am delighted to go to the role of test and reserve driver for the BWT Alpine Formula 1 team this season,” said Maini on the official F1 website.

“Since he joined the Alpine Academy before last year, I was incredibly welcomed throughout the Alpine family and I am grateful to Flavio (Briatore) and Oliver (Oakes) for their continuous support.”

In his role as a test and reserve driver, the 24-year-old will use the driver’s driver simulator at the Alpine base in Enstone, the United Kingdom to support their development of cars and will also participate in the previous car test program to further improve his skills.

Maini will continue to participate in Formula 2, where it is ready for a third season, with dams (Driot associated Motor Sport).

“I can’t wait to get more track time in Formula 1 machines in this role and rely on what I have already learned with the team in 2024.

“I am very happy to start the role as soon as possible, but for the moment, I focus on my third season in Formula 2 which launches this weekend in Australia.”

Who is Kush Maini?

Kush, including the older brother Arjun also a runner, was born on September 22 in Bengaluru. After spending the first years of his childhood in the “Garden City”, Maini, he moved to the United Kingdom to focus on karting and also spent time in Italy as well as in Switzerland, he revealed on the official Formula 3 website.

His first victory as a runner occurred at the age of 10 when he emerged triumphant in the karting section of the Indian national championship.

“The fact that there were a lot of drivers older than me, Jehan (Daruvala) was running there. It was a good race to win. I had never won before this year and it was the last, I just managed to win it.

After a strong junior career, Maini began his career in one place in the Italian F4 championship in 2016, in competition for BVM Racing. Maini would receive a series of victories in the British Formula 3 before finishing second in 2020 while representing the Hainech Grand Prix. Along the way, he also participated in the Renault Eurocup formula.

He would then participate in the Asian Championship F3, in competition for the Falcons de Mumbai, before entering Formula 3 of the FIA ​​in 2022, collecting a podium in Hungaroring. Maini would continue its upward trajectory thereafter, making its F2 debut the following year with Campos Racing, finishing second in the race of feature films in Bahrain and collecting its only podium of the season in Melbourne.

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He would make even more F2 history the following season after joining Invicta Racing, helping them win the manufacturers’ championship and obtaining five podiums, including a victory in Hungary. He also became the first Indian to win pole position in Formula two.