Kush Maini delivered when it mattered in F2 Qualifying at the 2026 Hungarian GP, securing his second pole position of the season at the Hungaroring.
The ART Grand Prix driver posted a 1:28.896 in the closing stages, beating Rafael Câmara by 0.117s after a tense final sequence. Noel León completed the top three, with Joshua Dürksen fourth and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak fifth.
Speaking to the media after Qualifying, including Pit Debrief, Maini praised ART Grand Prix for giving him the car to fight at the front.
“They gave me a great car. I’m glad to have stuck it on pole.”
Maini waits out late threat
Maini had to watch the final moments from the pit lane as Câmara and León completed their last attempts. Both had looked quick earlier in the session, and Câmara in particular threatened after going fastest in the opening sector.
However, Maini’s lap proved strong enough across the full distance, giving him pole as his rivals fell short.
“I knew that these two were the ones that were quick in the first run and they were the ones that went at the end. So I knew I had to wait and just wait until they finished.”
“Then sector one, they both went way quicker. But fortunately, I think our car held on better through the lap.”
“And so yeah, after sector one, I was like, ‘oh, it’s not looking great’. But then it held on and I was really happy.”
That final-sector strength mattered at the Hungaroring, where the lap offers little time to recover once the tyres begin to fade. Maini’s ART package stayed with him until the end, allowing him to beat Câmara and secure the best starting position for Sunday’s Feature Race.
Maini keeps focus on Sprint before Feature Race
Although pole gives Maini a clear opportunity for Sunday, he refused to look too far ahead. The Hungaroring can make overtaking difficult, but Formula 2 races rarely follow a simple pattern.
“Well, I think it’s F2 just anything can happen. I mean, in Monaco, I think I started like ninth and I finished fourth.”
“In F2, you’re going to have to have like a great day from all perspectives. From your side, the start itself, and then the first in, there’s just a lot that goes into it.”
“But full focus is on tomorrow. I think there’s still something to be won. And obviously gathering the data for the Feature Race to set the car up in the best way.”
That approach reflected the structure of the weekend. Maini had already done the most important work for the Feature Race, but the Sprint still offered points, tyre information and an opportunity to understand how the car behaves in traffic before Sunday.
Maini: Hungaroring gives “street circuit vibes”
When asked by Pit Debrief what makes the Hungaroring enjoyable, and which part of the circuit feels most rewarding in Qualifying, Maini immediately pointed to the challenge of Turn 1.
“Yeah, I think surviving the bump in turn one, to be honest. It’s been quite aggressive there all weekend, like you’ve seen for everyone.”
“But overall, this track, I’ve always enjoyed it. Very technical and it’s almost… It gives you street circuit vibes, but it isn’t one.”
“It’s kind of like an old school track. Not a lot of room for error and not a lot of breathing time during the lap. So it’s very intense in the cockpit.”
“But yeah, I love racing here. Obviously, in the races, it is a bit more challenging than other tracks to pass.”
“But I think with the overheating, with the lack of straights really to cool down, people can struggle.”
“So yeah, I think keeping your tyres in a good window for when it matters is important.”
“In terms of the track, I think… Yeah, today was just turn one. I was very scared off. The rest felt good.”
That description captured the balance drivers had to manage in Qualifying. The Hungaroring rewards precision, but it also punishes overcommitment. Maini found the limit without losing the lap, and that gave him the edge over Câmara and León.
Timing proves crucial
The session developed in two distinct phases, with some drivers heading out earlier and others waiting before committing to their final runs. Maini felt the timing helped ART Grand Prix build towards the second run, especially with lower fuel and warmer brakes.
“I think everything leads up to the second run with the lower fuel. I think for us today, we obviously wanted to wait that first bit out and see, you know, hopefully the track gets cleaned up a bit.”
“I mean, it was quite stable in the end. But yeah, just also knowing what the target is, knowing where the group is on the track, lap time wise, I think it helps getting your eye in and sort of what to expect.”
“Overall, I think, you know, when we came in from that first run, we went straight out.”
“So keeping a bit of heat in the brakes and stuff, I think, helped the warm-up for me in the second run. I think it’s quite a short track and not a lot of time to warm the tyres up. So that helped.”
“I think overall, the track was quite stable today. And I think in the end, all the strategies in the end, the last run is always, everyone does it quite similar times.”
“With the red flag, it can always be a thing. But yeah, today was all good.”
Heat could shape the races
The Hungarian GP weekend is also expected to become hotter, increasing the importance of tyre behaviour and race strategy. When Pit Debrief asked how much the physical side of racing in those temperatures affects strategy thinking, Maini said the rising temperatures could open up more options.
“I think, obviously, the temp is going to start going up now for the rest of the weekend. The soft tyre operates better in hotter conditions. So that opens up a bit of possibilities for the sprint race, obviously.”
“If there being a safety car mid-race on, I think you won’t be surprised to see a lot of people boxing. So that opens up that opportunity.”
“And I think Sunday as well is going to be quite hot. So normally, if it was really cold, you’d expect the option to last six laps. But if it’s hot, it might last 14.”
“So it’s very dependent on the track condition and how the tyres operate. It’s going to be a very interesting weekend, I think.”
For now, Maini has given himself the best possible platform after his F2 Qualifying session at the Hungarian GP. After a session where timing, tyre preparation and Turn 1 commitment all mattered, he left the Hungaroring with pole and a clear chance to convert it into a major result.
