‘He Has It in Him’: Two-Time F1 World Champion Heaps Praise on Protege & Indian F2 Driver Kush Maini

One of India's biggest motorsports sensation is Kush Maini, who has made a big splash as he competes in the Formula 2.The Invicta Racing driver has dome rather well this season as he had five podium finishes this season, including one inherited race win in the Sprint race at Budapest. So far, it has been good for the Indian F2 driver, and a two time F1 World Champion echoes the same sentiment.

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Two-Time F1 Champion Mika Hakkinen Has Nothing but Praise for Indian F2 Driver Kush Maini

Former F1 Driver Mika Hakkinen, who was also an F1 World Champion in 1998 and 1999, opined over Indian Driver Kush Maini. The Flying Finn has mentored the now-Invicta Racing driver in F2, and he believes that Maini has a bright future and a possibility of getting promoted to Formula 1.

“Kush Maini is good. He is doing well in F2. I feel he has it in him to go all the way to F1,” said Mika Hakkinen during an inauguration event in Chennai.

Hakkinen made a short stop in Chennai as he heads for the Singapore GP. He arrived in India to inaugurate the Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA), a karting circuit which has been approved by the CIK.

Also Read: After Surviving a Life-Threatening Crash, Indian F2 Driver Kush Maini Faces Sanctions From The FIA

Kush Maini has had a good run in his second F2 season, and he has a firm chance to become the third Indian F1 driver after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok. However, the Invicta Racing driver has been in turmoil lately as the star F2 driver was involved in a life-threatening crash during the Azerbaijan GP weekend at the Baku Street Circuit. Maini's car did not move despite the green light, and Josep Marti and Oliver Goethe's car hit him in the rear. The Indian F2 Driver was unable to finish the race as his car took significant damage. It is assumed that Maini's vehicle violated the F2 Technical rules, which outline the necessity of starting the engine during the start of the feature race.

As a result, the FIA has imposed penalties on Kush Maini. Two post-race sanctions have been given to the race driver. Kush also received a 10-second time penalty, but since he did not finish the Feature Race, the sanction has been changed to a five-place grid penalty. Maini will complete his sentence at his next competition.