Kush Maini Secures Formula 2 Pole in Tight Hungaroring Qualifying

Maini holds his nerve in a late shootout

ART Grand Prix’s Kush Maini converted his strong Hungaroring form into a second Formula 2 pole position of 2026, edging Invicta Racing’s Rafa Câmara by 0.117 seconds in a closely fought qualifying session.

Campos Racing’s Noel León completed the top three after a late improvement, while Joshua Dürksen placed the second Invicta car fourth. ART also enjoyed a second strong result as Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak qualified fifth. Laurens van Hoepen, Nikola Tsolov, Dino Beganovic, Gabriele Minì and Sebastián Montoya completed the top 10.

Montoya will again start the Saturday Sprint Race from reverse-grid pole. The result sets up a strategically significant weekend at a circuit where qualifying performance carries particular weight. The Hungaroring’s difficulty for overtaking made every position in the 30-minute session especially valuable. Drivers can follow the wider Formula 2 Budapest Round 9 schedule and viewing information ahead of the sprint and feature races.

How qualifying unfolded

Championship leader Tsolov initially established the benchmark with a 1:29.601, ahead of Minì and Rodin Motorsport’s Martinius Stenshorne. Several leading drivers delayed their first runs, seeking clean air around the narrow circuit. Câmara, León, Inthraphuvasak and Maini were among those waiting, while Beganovic survived a moment of oversteer at the exit of Turn 7 and still remained fourth in the order.

Câmara then moved to the front midway through the session with a 1:29.380. He improved that mark by a further 0.057 seconds before returning to the pits, leaving the field to settle the contest on its final set of flying laps.

The closing runs proved decisive. Tsolov climbed the order despite an oversteer moment at Turn 9, but Dürksen went quicker before Maini produced a 1:28.896 to take control. Inthraphuvasak briefly moved into third, setting an early ART benchmark as the final laps unfolded.

Câmara looked capable of overturning Maini’s advantage after running ahead through the first two sectors. However, a moment of oversteer at the final corner cost him the pole. León recovered strongly to claim third, while Alex Dunne’s difficult session ended with him 17th, ending his run of top-four qualifying results this season.

Maini holds his nerve in a late shootout