Kush Maini finishes second in Hungary race, achieves third podium in F2 2026 season
(Courtesy : Dutch Photo Agency)
Kush Maini’s P2 finish in Hungary was a result of grit
Kush Maini continued his impressive run of form in the 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship, securing a hard-fought second-place finish in Sunday’s Feature Race at the Hungaroring, his third podium of the season.
Returning to a circuit that has become one of his most successful stops in Formula 2, Maini kicked off the weekend in style, taking pole position in Friday’s qualifying session.
Owing to his pole position qualification, the reverse-grid format for Saturday’s Sprint Race saw Maini start from P10; two positions outside of points. A strong start allowed him to gain five positions and finish P5, securing four championship points.
Starting from P1 on Sunday, Maini made a perfect launch and immediately took control of the Feature Race, building a commanding five-second lead by the time the mandatory pit window approached. However, an untimely Virtual Safety Car (VSC) disrupted his rhythm and cost him valuable track position, undoing what had, until that point, been a dominant drive toward victory.
Refusing to let the setback define his afternoon, Maini fought back to reclaim second place and remained firmly in contention until the chequered flag. Just 0.8 seconds behind the race winner.
What does Kush Maini have to say about his finish?
“Sometimes you can do everything right, but not get the biggest trophy, but I’m very satisfied with the way we worked and performed over the weekend. We fight for the big trophy when we’re back in Monza. Thanks to the team for an amazing car throughout the weekend and to JK Tyres and TVS Racing for all the support in this journey,” said Maini after the race.
Adding the fastest lap of the Feature Race to his P2 finish, Maini closed out Sunday with 19 points to his name, the finishing touch on his most successful weekend of the season. He leaves Hungaroring with 25 points banked toward the 2026 F2 Drivers’ Championship
With the summer break now underway, Maini sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship — marginally shy of the top four. All eyes turn to Monza, where he’ll aim to pick up right where he left off.
How old is Kush Maini?
Kush Maini is 25 years old. He was born on September 22, 2000, in Bangalore, Karnataka.
Has Kush Maini ever won an F2 race?
Yes, Maini’s first F2 win was the Budapest Sprint Race in July 2024.
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Riya Singhal is a sports journalist with experience across multiple sports. She has led golf coverage for over three years, reporting live from some of Asia's biggest courses and interviewing emerging talents. Beyond golf, she has covered Formula 1, MLB, WWE, NBA, and NFL, bringing versatility to her reporting. Alongside writing, Riya has played an important role in mentoring young journalists and maintaining editorial quality, combining her background in education with strong leadership and people-management skills.