Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Maini future Formula E driver, but winning comes before nationality
The Mahindra team races electric cars in a racing championship called Formula E. Frederic Bertrand is the boss of the Mahindra team.
He says a young driver from India named Kush Maini could one day race for the team.
Kush is the team's reserve driver, which means he is a backup racer, and he also races in another series called Formula 2.
He helps the team learn and practice, but he did not get to race this season.
Mr. Bertrand says the team should pick the best driver, not a driver just because of the country they come from.
He wants Mahindra to win the championship.
He explained that the driver is like the cherry on top of a cake, but the cake - the team - comes first.
Right now, Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara race for Mahindra and have had a strong season, with Mortara taking four pole positions.
Mr. Bertrand believes Maini can become a real candidate for a race seat one day, if he keeps improving.
Mahindra Racing CEO Frederic Bertrand said Kush Maini could eventually become a 'definitive candidate' for a Formula E race seat.
Bertrand stressed Mahindra will not compromise its competitive ambitions for an Indian driver, saying winning comes before nationality.
Maini, a Bengaluru-born reserve driver since Season 10, races in Formula 2 and belongs to the Alpine Driver Academy, but did not get a race in the 2025-26 season.
The 25-year-old attends races to learn Formula E's unique demands, such as energy management and car efficiency.
Current drivers Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara race for Mahindra; Mortara equalled the Formula E record with four pole positions this season while de Vries won the Tokyo E-Prix.
- Who
- Kush Maini, Mahindra Racing's reserve driver, and Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal Frederic Bertrand
- What
- Bertrand said Maini could become a future Formula E driver, but that nationality will not take priority over competitive performance
- When
- Ahead of the Formula E season finale on August 15-16, 2026 (article published August 14)
- Where
- London, before the London double-header that closes the 2025-26 season and the Gen3 era
- Why
- Mahindra wants to strengthen its Indian identity on the global motorsport stage, but its goal is to win the championship
Promote Indian talent
Prioritize winning
Choosing Mahindra's next race driver
Promote Indian talent
Mahindra wants to strengthen its Indian identity on the global motorsport stage, and Maini's development has been given added importance, making the Bengaluru-born driver a natural fit for a future race seat.
Prioritize winning
Bertrand said nationality has 'never been a priority'; the team must choose the best driver to win the championship, and Maini must reach the level required to compete at the front.
- Subject
- Kush Maini's potential as a future Mahindra Formula E driver
- Driver
- Kush Maini, 25, born in Bengaluru
- Maini's roles
- Mahindra Racing reserve driver; Formula 2 competitor; Alpine Driver Academy member
- Key quote
- 'One day he will be a definitive candidate for the seat' - Frederic Bertrand
- Current Mahindra drivers
- Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara
- Season finale
- London double-header, August 15-16, closing the 2025-26 season and the Gen3 era
- Mahindra's Formula E commitment
- Founding team since 2013; committed as a manufacturer through at least 2030, entering the Gen4 era next season