India’s Formula 1 dream is steadily gaining another name alongside the country’s growing motorsport ambitions. Kush Maini has completed a productive two-day test with the BWT Alpine F1 Team at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, adding another significant chapter to his journey towards the highest level of single-seater racing.
Maini, who serves as Alpine’s Test and Reserve Driver and is part of the Alpine Academy, covered approximately 850 kilometres and around 200 laps during the two-day programme. The test was not a race weekend, so there were no official finishing positions, points or lap-time records at stake. Instead, the focus was on mileage, car understanding, technical feedback and driver development.
From changing weather to a full day of F1 running
The first day presented Maini with a variety of track conditions. He completed 82 laps in a Testing Previous Car (TPC) machine, working through wet, intermediate and soft tyre compounds as the circuit gradually dried.
That made the opening day particularly useful from a learning perspective. Rather than simply chasing outright speed, Maini had to adapt to changing grip levels and understand how the car behaved across different tyre conditions.
The second day offered much more consistent running. Maini moved into Alpine’s 2025-specification F1 car, the same specification of machinery he had previously driven during the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi.
With dry conditions allowing extended running, he completed more than 500 km on the second day alone, taking his overall distance for the test to roughly 850 km.
The numbers behind Maini’s Alpine test
Team: BWT Alpine F1 Team
Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria
Duration: Two days
Total distance: Approximately 850 km
Total laps: Around 200
Day 1: 82 laps
Day 2: More than 500 km
Cars used: TPC machine and 2025-specification F1 car
Current F1 role: Test and Reserve Driver
Development programme: Alpine Academy
Next major target: FIA Formula 2 round at Monza
Why this test matters for Maini
For Maini, the importance of the Austrian programme goes beyond the headline figure of 850 km.
Every additional day spent inside an F1 car gives a reserve driver an opportunity to become more familiar with the physical demands, technical complexity and working methods of Formula 1. It also allows the team to collect valuable feedback from a driver who is competing regularly in Formula 2.
This was Maini’s latest F1 running after his earlier 2026 test at Zandvoort, where he completed 193 laps and 822 km in Alpine’s A521.
The continued opportunities also underline Alpine’s ongoing investment in Maini’s development. He joined the Alpine Academy in 2023 and subsequently moved into the team’s Test and Reserve Driver pool.
F2 form adds another layer to the story
Maini’s F1 testing comes at an important stage of his 2026 Formula 2 campaign.
The Indian driver currently sits sixth in the F2 Drivers’ Championship and has collected two podium finishes in his last three races before the summer break. His recent results have put him in the conversation for what could become the strongest championship finish by an Indian driver in the category.
His 2026 season has also included stronger flashes of outright performance. Earlier reports have highlighted two pole positions, two fastest laps, three podiums and one victory during the campaign.
That makes the timing of the Alpine test particularly interesting. Maini now has to convert the confidence and experience gained from Formula 1 machinery into results when the Formula 2 season resumes.
Monza is the next test
The F1 machinery will now make way for the championship fight.
Maini is set to return to Formula 2 action at Monza, where he will continue his push up the standings. The Italian circuit presents a very different challenge, withsportstar its long straights and heavy braking zones demanding both efficiency and precision.
For Maini, the objective is simple: turn a strong run of form into a stronger championship position.
India’s F1 hopes continue to build
Maini’s journey is still some distance away from securing a full-time Formula 1 seat, and an F1 test should not be mistaken for confirmation of a future race drive.
But the progression is significant.
From Formula 2 competition to repeated F1 testing, Maini is increasingly gaining the kind of experience required to remain on the radar of an F1 team. His role within Alpine gives him access to the team’s development environment, while his F2 campaign provides the competitive platform on which he must prove himself.
The Red Bull Ring test therefore represents more than another day in an F1 car. It is another piece of experience being added to Maini’s long-term F1 case.
For the Indian driver, the dream remains firmly alive. The next chapter will be written not in the garage, but at Monza, where the stopwatch and championship table will provide the clearest measure of his progress.
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