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Interview with Kush Maini: How It All Unfolded from F3 to F2 to F1 with Mika Hakkinen

Mentored by Mika Hakkinen and supported by Alpine's young drivers program, Kush Maini, the rising F1 talent from India, has graciously shared his journey in an exclusive interview with us.

<p>Aspiring Formula 1 driver Kush Maini of India will gain guidance from two-time World Champion Mika Hakkinen as he works towards his goal of racing at the highest level of motorsport. Formula 1 legend Mika Hakkinen is showing his support to the young talent Kush Maini, 23, who has had an outstanding year with several top-five qualifying finishes and a podium in Melbourne. They are focused on one thing, and that is making it to Formula 1. In addition to helping train current Alfa Romeo Sauber driver and former Mercedes F1 race winner Valtteri Bottas, Mika Hakkinen has a track record of helping develop young, ambitious F1 drivers. At present in&nbsp;Formula 1, Mark Webber also acts as a mentor to Oscar Piastri, who has made great strides this season with McLaren, culminating in podium finishes and a sprint race victory. Having a former Formula 1 race winner on your side can help you focus on what really matters during a racing weekend, get recognition from your teammates, and improve your communication skills. It can also be a useful tool for professional development by opening doors to potential sponsors.</p>

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<h2>Hakkinen to Guide Maini&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Taking to social media, Kush Maini posted, “Super excited to announce that two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen will be mentoring me and guiding my career from here on out. So grateful for this amazing opportunity to learn from one of the greatest in motorsport!”</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Super excited to announce that two time formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen will be mentoring me and guiding my career from here on out. So grateful for this amazing opportunity to learn from one of the greatest in motorsport! <a href="https://t.co/IQ9MM4owow">pic.twitter.com/IQ9MM4owow</a></p>
— Kush Maini (@kmainiofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/kmainiofficial/status/1712431682417242126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>In the first half of the F2 season, Maini was a serious threat to finish in the top four for Campos Racing. Maini thinks he can challenge for first in 2024 with Hakkinen's coaching and management strategies and processes.</p>

<h2>Who is Kush Maini?</h2>

<p><img alt="Kush Maini" height="720" src="/uploads/2023/10/Kush-Maini.jpg" width="1280" /></p>

<p>Kush Maini of Bangalore is the younger brother of former Formula 2 racer and Haas F1 team development driver Arjun Maini. In the 2020 British F3 Championship, which Hakkinen won in 1990, the younger Maini came in second. Kush finished third in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship in 2018, racking up one victory and seven other podium finishes. After his most successful season to date, Kush is eager to further establish himself as one of India's top prospects for Formula 1.</p>

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<p>Before moving on to cars, Kush had a successful karting career, where he established several new standards for Indian and Asian drivers in European competition. While also finishing second in the WSK Euro Series and third in the WSK Masters Series, he made history in 2013 as the first Indian to win a race in the 60 Mini class. This was followed by the youngster's fourth-place finish in the 2014 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship.</p>


F1 Champion Mika Hakkinen to Mentor Indian F2 Driver Kush Maini

At the moment, Maini competes in Formula 2 for Campos Racing. With a podium finish in the Australian Sprint Race, he is currently 11th in the Drivers' Championship. He had a season of ups and downs, but the Indian driver is optimistic about 2024.

<p>Verge Motorcycles,&nbsp;along with two-time Formula 1 champion&nbsp;Mika Hakkinen, has added a special edition bike to the family of electric bikes born out of the collaboration.&nbsp;Dubbed the Verge Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition, the new bike features&nbsp;intricate detailing with design inputs from Formula 1 legend. The special edition will be produced in limited numbers to maintain its exclusivity, and only 100 units will be delivered across select European markets at a price tag of € 80,000 (approximately Rs 71.72 lakh, ex-showroom).&nbsp;The&nbsp;Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition is based on the Verge TS Pro platform that, according to Verge, personifies innovation, performance, and excellence, which resonates with Hakkinen's legendary career in motorsports. The Flying Finn, as he was known, was elevated to Formula 1 racing by Team Lotus, following his wins at Scandinavian Formula Ford championships, the Opel Lotus Euroseries championship, and the 1990 British Formula 3 championship.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the Special Edition, Mika&nbsp;Hakkinen&nbsp;wanted to push beyond the custom colourway and focus on the small intricate details that matter the most, according to&nbsp;the Finnish company.&nbsp;</p>

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<h2>Verge Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition: Design</h2>

<p><img alt="Verge Motorcycles TS Pro Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition" height="720" src="/uploads/2023/05/Verge-Motorcycles-TS-Pro-Mika-Hakkinen-Signature-Edition.jpg" width="1280" /></p>

<p>In terms of design, the&nbsp;Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition looks identical to the Verge TS Pro and the Ultra. It sports an angular design, which&nbsp;is quite evident in a full-side fairing and a floating seat that gets&nbsp;two different types of leather.&nbsp;The highlight of the bike is its hubless rear wheel that also has been borrowed from the standard TS model.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The limited-run bike has a unique appearance due to its black and silver dual-tone colour scheme. Interestingly, this paint job is evocative of the colour schemes featured&nbsp;on McLaren Formula 1 race cars&nbsp;that Mika&nbsp;Hakkinen drove to victory in two consecutive World Championships in 1998 and 1999.&nbsp;Better protection is promised by a thin film ceramic coating. The suspension is finished in black, and there is full carbon-fibre fairing, paying tribute to&nbsp;Hakkinen's racing history. To ensure the authenticity of the special edition, each model&nbsp;gets a special&nbsp;plaque with the model number and&nbsp;Hakkinen's signature.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Verge Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition: Engine, Hardware</h2>

<p>An electric&nbsp;motor with a claimed range of 350km&nbsp;powers the&nbsp;Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition. According to Verge, the special edition bike can reach a top speed of 200km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.5 seconds, all thanks to the hubless motor that produces 137bhp of maximum power and 1000Nm of peak torque.&nbsp;A 20.2kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged in 35 minutes using a 25kW DC fast charger.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
<br />
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<p>Braking duties are carried out by twin 230mm Galfer discs with Brembo M4.32 four-piston callipers at the front and a single 380mm Galfer peripheral disc with an in-house four-piston calliper at the rear. The bike's weight stands at 245 kilograms.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Signature Edition sits on 17-inch alloy wheels draped in a 120/70 front and a 240/45 rear tyre.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Verge Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition Unveiled, is Based on TS Pro Bike

Only 100 units of the Verge Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition will be delivered across select European markets at a price tag of € 80,000 (Rs 71.72 lakh, ex-showroom), to maintain its exclusivity.

Mika Hakkinen

Interview with Kush Maini: How It All Unfolded from F3 to F2 to F1 with Mika Hakkinen

F1 Champion Mika Hakkinen to Mentor Indian F2 Driver Kush Maini

Verge Mika Hakkinen Signature Edition Unveiled, is Based on TS Pro Bike

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