🟡 Kush Maini Becomes First Indian Driver to Win an F2 Race at Monaco
Kush Maini delivered a milestone moment in Monte Carlo, becoming the first Indian driver to win a Formula 2 race around the Principality. The DAMS Lucas Oil racer controlled the 2025 Monaco Sprint Race from pole position, surviving pressure from Gabriele Minì, a mid-race Safety Car, and the ever-present threat of the barriers to take a lights-to-flag win dominantly.
It was a drive defined by precision, not raw pace. Monaco doesn’t allow second chances, and Maini never needed one. In a race that saw drama behind him, from opening-lap shuffles to penalty-induced heartbreak, the 24-year-old kept it clean, calm, and utterly composed. It wasn’t just a win—it was a statement.
🚦 A Fast Start and a Fierce Challenger
The start was textbook. Maini reacted immediately when the lights went out, defending his line into Sainte Dévote while chaos unfolded behind. Luke Browning’s sluggish launch saw him slip from P3 to P5, while Gabriele Minì capitalised with a sweeping move into second.
Arvid Lindblad made early headlines with a bold move at Mirabeau, diving inside Jak Crawford to grab third. The move didn’t stick without consequence. Contact ensued, and although Lindblad muscled his way through, the stewards responded with a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision. His fight, from that point, was against the stopwatch.
As the leaders pulled away, Minì began applying pressure immediately. The PREMA Racing rookie sat within half a second of Maini for the first ten laps, the DRS train never quite enough to break the Indian driver’s rhythm. Every lap was a qualifying lap, and every braking zone was a risk.
⚠️ Safety Car Changes the Script
Lap 12 changed everything. Contact between Oliver Goethe and Joshua Duerksen left the AIX Racing car in the wall at Portier. Out came the Safety Car. The gaps disappeared. The tension returned.
Maini’s restart on Lap 15 was surgical. He punched clear of Minì just before DRS reactivation, re-establishing a buffer and forcing the Italian to settle once more into second. Behind them, Lindblad’s penalty hovered like a shadow. Knowing he’d be dropped down the order, Campos Racing instructed him to push.
Further back, Goethe was involved in another moment—contact with Victor Martins at La Rascasse. A bold move turned into another penalty—his second 10-second sanction of the day.
↺ Strategic Games and Split Timings
With the podium fight unfolding up front, the real intrigue lay in the maths. Lindblad needed to build at least a 10-second gap to Luke Browning to retain a top-three finish on the road. He tried everything—lifting early, pushing late, dropping back to find clear air.
But Monaco doesn’t play along.
By Lap 22, the Red Bull Junior had clawed back to within a few tenths of Minì. Behind him, Browning patiently drove, waiting for the clock to do his work. He didn’t need to pass. He just needed to stay close.
🏁 The Finish: A Win, a Wound, and a Podium Twist
As the final lap began, the lead trio ran line astern—Maini two seconds clear of Minì, Lindblad right behind. There were no fireworks, lunges, or late drama—just controlled, clinical driving from three drivers at different stages of their F2 journey.
Maini crossed the line to take his second career win in Formula 2—arguably his most significant. Minì followed in P2, having held off Lindblad to the finish. But the time penalty loomed large. Once applied, it dropped the British rookie to eighth.
Browning, ever consistent, quietly inherited third. It is his sixth podium of the season, and it places him just a single point behind Alexander Dunne in the championship standings.
📊 Final Classification – 2025 Monaco Sprint (Top 8)
- Kush Maini – DAMS Lucas Oil 🇮🇳
- Gabriele Minì – PREMA Racing 🇮🇹
- Luke Browning – Hitech TGR 🇬🇧
- Jak Crawford – DAMS Lucas Oil 🇺🇸
- Richard Verschoor – MP Motorsport 🇳🇱
- Sebastián Montoya – PREMA Racing 🇨🇴
- Leonardo Fornaroli – Invicta Racing 🇮🇹
- Arvid Lindblad – Campos Racing 🇬🇷 (after penalty)
🎤 Post-Race Reaction – Maini’s Words
“P1, first Indian to win in Monaco too. It’s a great honour and a dream come true. I want to say thank you to DAMS and everyone who has supported me. We keep believing!”
🤷️ Championship Standings – Drivers & Teams
Drivers’ Top 5
- Alexander Dunne – 65 pts
- Luke Browning – 64 pts
- Richard Verschoor – 59 pts
- Leonardo Fornaroli – 54 pts
- Arvid Lindblad – 46 pts
Teams’ Top 3
- Hitech TGR – 93 pts
- Campos Racing – 87 pts
- MP Motorsport – 71 pts
⏭️ Up Next: Sunday’s Feature Race
Alexander Dunne will lead the field away from pole in the Feature Race, with Victor Martins alongside. The longer format, the added pit stop, and Monaco’s famous unpredictability set the stage for what could be a defining moment in the title battle.
🕘 Feature Race Start: Sunday, 09:40 CEST
Stay tuned—because in Monaco, one mistake is all it takes.