Kush Maini on His Monaco Win & the Journey That Got Him There

This is our most detailed conversation yet with Kush Maini, Alpine’s F1 Reserve Driver and the only Indian to win at Monaco in F2.

In this episode, Soumil Arora sits down with Kush Maini and his father, Gautam Maini to unpack the full story behind his 2025 season — from the Sprint win at Monaco to his evolving race craft, training mindset, and what it really takes to move from talent to title contender in the F1 feeder system.

This isn’t your standard “how do you feel after a win?” interview. We go deeper:
👉🏼The technical + psychological edge Kush brings to qualifying
👉🏼The decision to join DAMS and why that move paid off
👉🏼Growing up racing alongside Arjun Maini, and how the family built two careers from scratch
👉🏼Why a lack of testing made him faster, not slower
👉🏼The gap between Asian and European motorsport prep — and how they closed it

Chapters:

00:00 – 01:12 : Kush Maini, Monaco & a Motorsport Family
01:12 – 07:50 : Raising Two Racers from the Ground Up
07:50 – 13:58 : The Leap, the Learning Curve & Arjun’s Path
13:58 – 18:34 : Mindset Shift of a Racing Dad
18:34 – 21:04 : Kush on Winning Monaco
21:04 – 23:52 : The Pressure of One-Lap Qualifying
23:52 – 26:22 : Brake Issues, Banana Chips & That Monaco Moment
26:22 – 29:16 : Alpine Role and How It Leads to F1

This one’s for anyone tracking Kush’s rise, following Indian motorsport, or studying what it takes to break into F1 in 2025 — with no shortcuts, no silver spoons.

🎧 Binge more episodes on the Inside Line F1 Podcast – India’s longest-running Formula Racing show.

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