23-year-old driver now says Mika Hakkinen has backed him to reach Formula 1

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Alpine academy driver Kush Maini has now said that the legendary Mika Hakkinen believes he belongs in Formula 1.

Reaching F1 is an incredibly difficult task for any driver but 2024 could be the right time to pique the interest of teams like Alpine.

Speaking to The Bridge, Maini was talking about his Finnish mentor and how he’s preparing for the upcoming season.

The lack of driver movement in Formula 1 this winter means the grid is suddenly in a precarious place.

Three-quarters of the drivers in F1 have now entered the final years of their deals and will be on the lookout for their next opportunity.

It means most teams will be looking towards their academies to decide whether it’s time to promote from within heading into 2025.

This puts Kush Maini in a strong position, with Alpine reportedly considering allowing both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon to leave at the end of the year.

Maini is working closely with Mika Hakkinen to put him in the strongest position possible to reach Formula 1.

The 23-year-old has suggested that the legendary Finn thinks he has the capacity to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.

He’ll be racing in Formula 2 this year with Invicta Racing alongside his duties as reserve driver for Mahindra Racing in Formula E.

Maini says Hakkinen believes he can reach Formula 1

Speaking about the two-time world champion, Maini said: “Mika is a great mentor. He’s helped bring a lot of structure to my approach, so essentially, I can focus on my driving and not get caught up in the other variables.

“He believes that I belong in F1 and having someone like Mika in your corner, gives immense confidence.”

Maini will know how crucial the next 12 months are if he’s going to make it to Formula 1 with the help of Hakkinen.

The main area he’ll be concentrating on is Formula 2, but he faces competition from two of the quickest young drivers to feature in the series in years.

It speaks volumes that past champions Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire couldn’t find a seat on the grid this year.

However, there’s a huge amount of excitement surrounding Mercedes’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Ollie Bearman.

Bearman looks like a prime candidate for a spot at Haas in 2025 but if Maini can prove he’s quicker than both drivers then he’ll suddenly turn an awful lot of heads.