Alpine has signed Kush Maini as a test and reserve driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Maini has been part of the Alpine Academy since October 2023 and completed his second Formula 2 campaign with the Invicta outfit in 2024, taking one victory – his first in any series since the 2020 British F3 campaign – on his way to 13th in the standings. He has moved to DAMS for the 2025 season.
As part of his new deal with the Enstone-based squad, the Indian driver will partake in simulator work while conducting track testing with older cars to gain F1 experience himself, via the Testing of Previous Cars rules.
“I am looking forward to getting more track time in Formula 1 machinery in this role and to build on what I have already learned with the team in 2024,” Maini said. “I’m very excited to begin the role as soon as possible but for now my focus is on my third season in Formula 2 kicking off this weekend in Australia.”
Alpine Academy director Julian Rouse added: “Kush has impressed the team across his TPC performances and Formula 2 results whilst we have been working with him and we expect he will continue to do so in 2025. His wider role allows us to further expand our pool of driving talent who can provide support and resource to the whole team during the busy season.”
Alpine certainly enjoys much depth in terms of ‘third drivers’, should any ill befall regulars Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan.
The team has signed three drivers to “test and reserve driver” deals, which includes Maini, current Toyota Hypercar racer Ryo Hirakawa, and Franco Colapinto, who is widely rumored to be an immediate threat to Doohan’s seat. Meanwhile, former Mercedes junior Paul Aron has been hired as merely a “reserve driver”.
All four drivers are set to participate in Alpine’s Testing of Previous Cars programme, with Hirakawa already announced as a Free Practice 1 driver at the Japanese Grand Prix, helping the team fulfill the regulatory rookie requirements.
Previously asked how the outfit was going to organise things around its first three reserve drivers, team principal Oliver Oakes replied: “They're all going to share a room. No, I'm joking!
“They've got a pretty busy year. All three of them are doing TPC testing, all three are doing a bit of operations support, and they're all attending a race.”
As to how much F1 testing each of them will get, Oakes said: “I don't know off my head. I think there's a little bit of a split, because obviously Franco has done a load of grands prix, Paul Aron hasn't done anything and Ryo's done probably a bit of everything, so there is a bit of a balance there.”
Additional reporting by Oleg Karpov
