Kush Maini bags F2 podium, Arjun Maini earns DTM top-three finish
New Delhi, July 5
India's Maini brothers enjoyed a memorable weekend in European motorsport, with Kush Maini securing a podium finish in the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race at Silverstone while elder brother Arjun Maini claimed his first podium of the 2026 DTM season at Germany's Norisring.
Driving for ART Grand Prix, Kush qualified third for the Formula 2 Feature Race, which placed him eighth on the grid for Saturday's Sprint Race under the reverse-grid format. He produced an impressive drive in the sprint, gaining four places to finish fourth.
The 25-year-old carried that momentum into Sunday's Feature Race. Starting from third, Kush made a brilliant getaway to take the lead before the opening corner and controlled the race for a significant period with strong pace and tyre management.
Following his mandatory pit stop, the Indian driver was involved in an intense battle with the Formula 2 championship leader before eventually crossing the line in third to claim his second podium of the 2026 season.
The result lifts Kush to sixth in the Formula 2 Drivers' Championship standings, leaving him just six points adrift of the top five heading into the second half of the campaign.
"Really happy with how the weekend has gone. Missed out on a double podium weekend by a small margin, but big points going into the second half of the season. Big thanks for all the support from everyone back home," said Kush after the race.
Meanwhile, elder brother Arjun Maini also enjoyed a successful weekend at the Norisring circuit in the DTM Championship.
Racing in the Ford Mustang GT3, Arjun qualified third for both races. He converted his strong starting position into his first podium finish of the season with third place in Race 1 on Saturday.
The Indian driver followed it up with a fourth-place finish in Sunday's rain-affected Race 2, which was interrupted by a red flag. Despite carrying an additional 5kg success ballast following his podium on Saturday, Arjun maintained competitive pace throughout the race to narrowly miss another podium finish.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is just amazing! Two brothers from India achieving this in the same weekend—it's like a Bollywood script. Kush's start in the Feature Race was brilliant, and Arjun holding his own with extra weight in the rain shows real grit. More power to them! ✨
Great weekend for the Maini brothers! Kush's tyre management to lead the F2 Feature Race for so long was impressive, and Arjun's consistency in DTM with the success ballast is commendable. India is definitely making its mark in global motorsport. Hope to see them in F1 and DTM podiums regularly!
Seriously, this is the kind of news we need more of! Two brothers, different championships, same weekend—both on podium. Kush is 6th in F2 standings, just 6 points from top 5—he could be in F1 soon if he keeps this up. And Arjun in DTM with a podium in a Mustang? That's a proper achievement. 👏
Honestly, lovely to see Indian drivers doing well abroad. But we also need to ask—why aren't we seeing more support for motorsport at home? The talent is clearly there, but infrastructure and sponsorships are still lacking. Hope this success pushes the government and private sector to invest in racing circuits and academies in India.
What a weekend for the Maini brothers! I watched both races and Kush's battle with the championship leader was tense—great composure under pressure. And Arjun's fourth place in the rain was no less than a podium, honestly. Two brothers, two
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