Abu Dhabi, Nov 27 (IANS): India Kush Maini on Monday has been announced as the driver of the Invicta Virtuosi Racing for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 season
Maini joins the British squad for his second season in Formula 2, having made his debut in 2023 with Campos Racing.
The Alpine Academy driver has been racing cars since 2016, competing in eight different categories to date, including BRDC British F3, where he finished as Vice-Champion in 2020. Maini was also a podium-sitter in FIA Formula 3 and has gained experience outside of single-seaters in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The 23-year-old achieved 12 points finishes in his rookie season in F2, including an impressive podium during the championship’s first trip to Melbourne.
“I'm super excited and grateful to be joining Invicta Virtuosi Racing for the 2024 FIA Formula 2 championship. They have a great pedigree in Formula 2 and, prior to that, in GP2, and I am looking forward to growing further as a racing driver with the team. A massive thank you to Invicta Virtuosi for putting their trust in me, and to the Alpine Academy and my management team for their support. I’ll do my best to hopefully bring many trophies back to the workshop,” said Kush sharing his excitement.
Kush is mentored by two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen and will be targeting further silverware in his sophomore season as he continues his development in the second tier.
“Kush has had a solid debut season in Formula 2. He got up to speed immediately and was able to produce good results in 2023. We’ve already spent considerable time with Kush since he first signed for the team and his mentality and approach align well with ours,” said Andy Roche, Team Principal of Virtuosi Racing.
“He has shown dedication and an impressive work effort, and we look forward to helping him add to his F2 podium tally as he continues to improve as a racing driver. He joins Gabriel Bortoleto at the team for 2024, and we are expecting to achieve big things with such a strong duo at the wheel,” he added.
Invicta Virtuosi Racing’s new-look lineup will be the team’s first pairing to compete in the next-generation Formula 2 cars, which were unveiled on August 31 in Monza, Italy, ahead of the 2024 season.
The 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship kicks off at the Bahrain International Circuit on February 29 and will see the grid compete at 14 different circuits, including a first-ever trip to Qatar.