City boy to race in europe next year

BENGALURU: It is a proud moment for Bengaluru-born Kush Maini. After a successful season in the British F3 series, he will now drive in the Formula Renault Eurocup next year. On Sunday, Belgian-based racing team M2 Competition announced Maini as the first driver for their expansion into the Formula Renault Eurocup next season.

After successful testing with Tatuus T-318, which will be used in the series in 2019, in Malaysia, the 18-year-old was taken on board. His impressive résumé helped him make the cut. Maini enjoyed his best season in 2018, securing third place in the British F3 Championship; taking a maiden series win at Rockingham early in the year, eight podiums and two pole positions as well.

“I’m thrilled to join the M2 Competition. This championship has produced so many successful F1 drivers over the years. It is going to be a huge challenge to not only adapt to a new car-engine-tyre package, but also to the circuits, as five of the 10 venues will be totally new to me. I’ll be working hard during the winter to be as prepared as I possibly can be, for the first collective test at Magny-Cours in March,” Maini said.

One could say racing runs in the youngster’s blood since he hails from a racing family and started karting at the age of seven. In 2011, he won the Indian National Karting Championship in the Micro Max category. He became the youngest driver from India to finish in the top five of a World Championship, when he finished fourth in the 2014 CIK-FIA World KF Junior Championship.  

Maini, now UK-based, secured a podium finish in just his second car race in the JK Tyre National Racing Series in 2015 and impressed in the two seasons of Formula 4 competition in Italy before moving into British F3 for 2018. Though he is the one of the latest talents to join M2, his family is no stranger to the team, since his brother Arjun raced with the team few years back.“To win in a series as fiercely-competitive as British F3 on your second weekend takes speed and maturity and Maini certainly has these qualities in abundance. We are delighted to have him on our team as our first driver,” said Jonathan Moury, team principal, M2. 

“He adapted well to the new Tatuus when he drove it at Sepang and I’m sure that he can perform strongly, despite intense levels of competition.”The Formula Renault Eurocup comprises a 10-round calendar in 2019, with highlights including support slots at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix and at GT3 racing’s jewel in the crown; the Spa 24 Hours.