Jeddah, Apr 19 (PTI) With the inspiring image of Lord Hanuman imprinted on his helmet and years of struggle still fresh in mind, Indian racer Kush Maini has embarked on a make or break season in Formula 2, a stepping stone to Formula 1.

Despite two up and down seasons in Formula 2, Maini did enough to impress Alpine who put him on its roster of reserve drivers earlier this year, making him only the third Indian to be part of a Formula 1 outfit.

Part of the DAMS squad this year, the 24-year-old has not made the best of starts to his last season in the Formula 1 feeder series.

He now desperately needs a string of good performances to stake a claim for a full-time race seat at Alpine when the opportunity arises.

Jeddah proved be to a happy hunting ground for him last year when he secured the pole position and finished second in the feature race.

However, the start of the weekend was rather disturbing for Maini who clocked the 12th fastest time when his teammate Jak Crawford was the quickest.

The Indian cited straight line speed issues for being more than half a second slower than his teammate.

Considering even Formula 2 drivers have to shell out close to USD 2 million for a season, the stakes are very high and Maini hopes mechanical issues don’t push him down the order as he chases his Formula 1 dream.

“Many things aren’t acceptable but this (engine issues) is something out of everyone’s control, there’s nothing they could have done, my team worked through the last night to solve the problem, they don’t want this to happen to me, it’s just sometimes life is like this,” Maini told PTI on the sidelines of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Maini has seen heartbreaks from close quarters with his elder brother Arjun reduced to tears in his Formula 2 days due to mechanical issues.

Maini’s contemporary Jehan Daruvala saw his Formula 1 dream being shattered after four mixed seasons.

The Bengaluru-based racer drove a Formula 1 car for the first time with Alpine last season and, for now, he is scheduled to drive their old car twice over the course of the season.

By his own admission, Maini has not done enough to drive in a free practice session for the Enstone based Formula 1 team.

“That (FP 1) depends on results, it’s as simple as that. In F1, you need results and, in the end, I know Alpine have supported me so much the last few years, they’ve done everything on their side and as soon as I do get those results and I’m in the front, they’ll put me in the car.

“I am not ready yet for Formula 1 and I can only be ready when the results go my way,” he said rather pragmatically.

‘Hanumanji is preparing me for something bigger’ ===================================== Maini was pegged back by a string of mechanical issues even last year and the start of 2025 has been anything but smooth.

For him, there is only one way to deal with bad luck.

“I like to think of it (that it is just bad luck), I’m spiritual, and Hanumanji obviously is on my helmet and I like to think of it as a test and he’s preparing me for something bigger.

“I think the stakes in F1 are a lot higher than F2 and when I reach F1 I want to be 100% ready for the pressure and my path’s harder but maybe it’s for a reason.” Talking more about his connection with Lord Hanuman, Maini said: “I don’t know, since I was young I just had this calling towards Hanumanji even when I was like 5-6 years old, then I started reading the Hanuman Chalisa and the meaning behind it and the lessons of life he gives you which you can use every day.

“…and it’s really helped me through the last few difficult seasons and every time I have a bad day my faith is stronger and I know it’s for a reason so I just go about my path,” said Maini.

If the Formula 1 dream doesn’t materialise, Maini will probably compete in Formula E where he is currently involved as a reserve driver for Mahindra Racing.

However, he is not thinking about his back-up plans yet and wants to put all his energies on Formula 2.

“In the end, I know this is a make or break season because I just haven’t shown enough performance which I completely agree with.

“So there is a lot of pressure but again I feel like last year, the year before has taught me how to deal with the pressure,” said the driver who is mentored by the great Mika Hakkinen.

As an Indian, the road to Formula 1 is even tougher with the lack of infrastructure at home forcing the likes of Maini to move to Europe at a very young age.

“Let’s just say at 12 years old I packed my bag and left home alone because my dad had to work and lived with a mechanic after a 9-hour flight.

“I spent two months in Italy without knowing the language as against an English boy who goes on a Sunday with his dad to a karting track one hour down the road. So, I think that sums it really well,” added Maini.

The next couple of months will give a fair indication if he is able to follow in the footsteps of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, the only Indians who have ever raced in Formula 1. PTI BS UNG