Interview
Kush Maini is looking to end what he calls an “up and down” season with a victory at the Yas Marina Circuit as the Invicta Racing driver talked through his expectations for the weekend.
The 24-year-old made a strong start to the year fighting towards the front of the field, even taking Pole Position in Jeddah before finishing second in the Feature Race.
He followed that up with P3 finish in the Melbourne Sprint Race but since the Championship’s return to Europe, Maini has struggled for consistency in results.
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While he has achieved a maiden F2 victory in the Budapest Sprint Race and a two more podiums, he has struggled to find a rhythm in 2024.
So, as he prepares for the final race weekend of the season, Maini was in a reflective mood assessing his campaign up until this point.
“Obviously it's been a very up and down season,” said Maini. “Starting the year fighting for poles and top positions and it’s just been a bit confusing lately, not really had the pace but hopefully we finish this weekend on a high and we can move on.
“It's the million-dollar question, why it’s not clicking. I feel like I am driving the same as I did, and for some reason it's just not clicking and not coming together. It’s very frustrating obviously but I feel like I haven't shown what I am capable off, which is frustrating.”
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Maini will be hoping that a return to a venue where he performed well around will help him get back to fighting at the front. Last year, the Indian driver was able to achieve third place on the grid around the Abu Dhabi venue.
But with many of the drivers and teams knowing the Yas Marina Circuit quite well given that they have done a lot of testing here, he expects a tight weekend, making Free Practice all the more important.
“It's always good to come back here,” he continued. “Let's wait and see, I feel confident, let's try and understand in Free Practice where we are and how we can push forward.
“Obviously, this track everyone is normally really close because it's quite a straightforward track, so it’s important to minimise mistakes in Quali because everyone is going to be within three or four tenths of a second.
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“So minimising mistakes can ensure whether you’re on pole or not, so I’m looking forward to being back here. Obviously, everyone drives a lot here, so it's going to be an interesting one.”
As for his hopes for the weekend, Maini adds: “After the season I've had, only a win could sort of end it on a positive note, and we will move forward, and I definitely feel there is more in me so looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”