Budapest [Hungary]Kush Maini on Sunday clinched his maiden FIA Formula 2 Championship victory, becoming the second Indian to achieve the feat.

The 23-year-old Indian inherited the position from Richard Verschoor, who was disqualified for a technical foul after the race, according to a press release.

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The first step on the podium allowed the Invicta Racing driver to add 10 points to his tally this season. With today’s win, Maini overtook Mercedes Junior Kimi Antonelli in the Formula 2 drivers’ standings to eighth place with 66 points. Maini was ninth on the grid for the ninth round of the Formula 2 championship and had to work hard after a difficult start on hard tyres saw him lose positions on the opening lap to Prema Racing’s Antonelli. Despite a setback on the opening lap, Maini kept his cool and continued to close the gap on his rivals, and it finally paid off on lap 17, when he showed his prowess and ability to perform under pressure, reclaiming second place. The final 11 laps saw him fiercely defend his position, constantly challenging Verschoor – and demonstrating his prowess in handling the challenging Hungaroring circuit.

The only Indian driver on the 2024 F2 grid is currently enjoying the best season of his career with 5 podiums, including a race win. Each podium finish is a testament to the tenacity and competitiveness of this young Indian driver.

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After being judged the race winner, Koch expressed his joy to the F2 community via the official F2 Instagram account: “My team and I, we continue to get up and fight. I have a great team around me and I thank them very much for today.

In addition to Saturday’s feat, Maini’s performance follows his exhilarating experience at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he had the honour of driving the iconic Lotus E20, sporting the Alpine logo, a car once driven by racing legends Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. There is no doubt that this experience has given Maini added confidence ahead of the Hungaroring. The Invicta driver took the top spot on the podium with Alpine Junior team-mate Victor Martins inheriting second place, while his Invicta team-mate Gabriel Bortoletto finished 16th in the sprint race, due to Verschoor’s disqualification. Coch Maini’s impressive performance today not only confirms his status as the new star of Formula 2, but also brings pride to his fans and supporters. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Maini to see how he continues to build on this momentum and strive for greater success.

Koch aims to double the glory in the main race in Budapest on Sunday. (ANI)

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