Kush Maini’s Near‑Victory in Hungary Stalls After Virtual Safety Car

New Delhi – On a bright Sunday at the Hungaroring, India’s own Kush Maini turned heads once again, clinching his third podium of the 2026 FIA Formula 2 season. He started the weekend in pole‑position after a crisp qualifying run on Friday, only to see his dream of a maiden victory slip away because of an untimely Virtual Safety Car (VSC) during the pit‑stop window.

Heading into the Feature Race on Sunday, Maini led from the lights out, pulling a comfortable five‑second gap from his pursuers before the mandatory pit‑stop window opened. Everything seemed to be falling into place – the car was humming, the tyres were behaving, and the team was executing flawlessly.

Then, mid‑pit‑stop, race control deployed the VSC. The neutralisation froze the field, nullifying the advantage Maini had built. When racing resumed, the leader’s lead evaporated, and the eventual winner zipped past, leaving Maini to settle for a very close second, just 0.8 seconds behind.

“Sometimes you can do everything right and still not come away with the biggest trophy,” Maini reflected afterwards, a mix of disappointment and determination in his voice. “I’m very satisfied with how we worked together this weekend. We’ll fight for the win when we’re back in Monza.”

He also tipped his hat to the team, JK Tyre and TVS Racing for supplying a car that felt “amazing” throughout the weekend. With the fastest‑lap point added, Maini walked away with 19 points from Sunday’s race and a total of 25 points for the entire weekend.

The Sprint Race on Saturday, run on a reverse‑grid format, saw Maini start from tenth. He sliced through the field, gaining five spots on the opening lap and eventually finishing fifth, pocketing four valuable championship points.

With the summer break looming, the championship pauses until the historic Monza circuit beckons. Maini sits sixth in the drivers’ standings, still trailing the leaders by a noticeable margin with four rounds left to play for.

Fans will be watching closely to see if the Indian driver can convert his strong qualifying pace and race‑craft into a win once the season resumes.