Qualifying
Kush and Tasanapol built momentum throughout the opening day, ending it on a high with the Indian driver claiming his second pole position of the season, while the Thai driver qualified fifth, his third TOP5 in qualifying in a row.
Sprint Race
Tasanapol managed to hold on to a points finish in sixth place thanks to a good pace, just behind Kush, who gained two positions at the start and another two during the race.
Feature Race
Starting on the soft tyres, Kush made an excellent getaway and built a four-second lead that could have proved decisive. However, a rival made a pit stop under a neutralization period to take the lead. Kush closed the gap in the closing laps and finished second, securing his third podium of the season. Tasanapol extended his first stint on the hard tyres until two-thirds distance. He was leading the race before making his mandatory pit stop, which dropped him to tenth. He executed his strategy perfectly, charging back through the field with several decisive overtakes to claim fifth place at the finish.
Kush Maini
“Every detail matters in Budapest, and we knew the weekend could be decided in qualifying as there are few overtaking opportunities on this track. We managed to put together a clean lap, which allowed us to approach the rest of the weekend with confidence. The Sprint race was strong and it helped us validate several options ahead of the Feature race. On Sunday, despite an excellent pace thanks to a fantastic car, we could do about a rival gaining ten positions by benefiting from a neutralization. We wouldn’t change anything about our approach or our execution this weekend. The team worked really hard again.”
Sébastien Philippe
“Kush, Tas and the entire team handled qualifying in the best possible way. Unfortunately, the circumstances of the race prevented us from taking victory, but scoring 38 points gives us our best haul of the season. Both mathematically and in the championship standings, we have made significant progress compared to last year. Everyone in the team, starting with Kush and Tas, was exemplary in their approach and in the way they managed every situation throughout the weekend. The summer break will be welcome, but with such strong potential, we are already looking forward to preparing for the next races. ”
