Indian F2 Driver Kush Maini Survives Massive Crash in Azerbaijan
Indian Formula 2 driver Kush Maini endured a harrowing crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix F2 feature race on Sunday. Starting fifth on the grid, Maini’s car malfunctioned at the start, leaving him stranded on the grid. As the race commenced, several cars managed to avoid Maini, but a car from behind collided with his stalled vehicle, triggering a massive crash that brought out the red flag.
Thankfully, Maini and all the drivers involved in the incident emerged unscathed. Maini, representing Invicta Racing, had qualified a promising fifth for the feature race. After failing to score points in the sprint race on Saturday, the Indian driver was eager to redeem himself. However, his race was cut short by the catastrophic incident, which saw cars flipping upside down.
Spanish driver Pepe Marti and Danish-German driver Oliver Goethe were also significantly impacted by the crash. However, they too managed to escape without serious injuries. The fact that all drivers remained unharmed underscores the advancements in motorsport safety.
Maini is currently in his second season in Formula 2 and is part of the Alpine F1 Team’s driver academy, alongside Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. However, Ocon will be replaced by Australian rookie Jack Doohan in 2025. Maini is vying for a reserve driver role at Alpine for next season.
After a strong start to the 2024 F2 season, Maini’s performance plateaued mid-season, and he currently sits 11th in the Driver’s Championship standings. His teammate, Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto, leads the championship.
Following the restart, the Azerbaijan GP feature race was won by Dutch driver Richard Verschoor, followed by France’s Victor Martins and Italy’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli is set to succeed Lewis Hamilton at Formula 1 team Mercedes in 2025.