Mugello F4: Maini scores rookie points in mixed weekend
Indian Kush Maini had a difficult weekend in the fourth round of the Italian Formula 4, having scored only 11 rookie points in three races.
The BVM Racing driver started the weekend with 17th and 14th place finish in the two practice on Friday respectively.
In qualifying, the Indian was 15th overall and fifth in rookie for the first race while improved to 11th overall and fourth rookie in Q2 for Race 2. Both the session saw the top 20 covered within a second of each other.
"Considering that we had zero days of testing before the weekend and a lot less compared to everyone else we did an alright job," said Maini after qualifying.
"We were improving every time I went on the track which is another positive we take into tomorrow [race]."
Fights to score points after stalling at start
The first race on Saturday started on a bad note for the Indian when he stalled on the grid before he managed to get going.
The momentary stop was enough to drop him to last behind the 32 drivers and Maini had to work his way up through the field in a 17-lap race.
The Indian then made progress lap after lap as he came up to 21st by Lap 10. Maini was right behind his teammate Lorenzo Colombo, whom he overtook on Lap 13 to move to 20th.
He made up two places on the last lap to finish 18th overall and seventh in rookie list as Juan Correa took the win with Mick Schumacher and Giuliano Raucci completing the podium.
Retired in Race 2, progess in third race
For the second race on Sunday, Maini made up two places on the start to move to 10th before losing it back on Lap 6.
While fighting for 12th with Mauricio Baiz on Lap 8, the Indian suffered a front wing failure leading to his first retirement of the season as Raucci won from Diego Bertonelli and Juri Vips.
In Race 3, the BVM driver had to start from the back at 28th. He fought his way back to 16th overall and sixth in rookie while Marcos Seibert took the win with Yan Leon Shlom finishing second and Vips third.
Having scored no points in the main standings, Maini is 16th with 24 points as Seibert leads with 165 points while he dropped to second in the rookie list having 131 points with Simone Cunati taking over with 147.5 points.
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