Maini began his single-seater career in 2016 racing for BVM Racing in the Italian F4 Championship. He scored points in the first six races of the year, took his first car-racing podium — third place — at the final round at Vallelunga, and finished the season sixteenth overall and fifth in the rookies' championship.
In 2017, Maini stayed in Italian F4, moving to Jenzer Motorsport alongside Giorgio Carrara, Federico Malvestiti, Giacomo Bianchi, and Job van Uitert. He achieved two podiums at Imola and Monza, along with a series of top-five finishes, ending the season eighth.
Maini stepped up to the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with Lanan Racing in 2018. He won the reversed-grid race at Rockingham, scored seven further podiums, and finished third in the standings.
In 2019, Maini switched to the Formula Renault Eurocup with M2 Competition. He took a podium in his first race at Monza but could not replicate that result through the rest of the season. He scored points consistently, finishing sixth with 102 points as the second-highest placed rookie.
Initially planning to remain in the Eurocup for 2020 with R-ace GP, Maini changed his plans following the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to British F3 with Hitech Grand Prix. He entered a title fight with Kaylen Frederick, won three races at Brands Hatch, Donington Park, and Snetterton, and finished second in the standings.
Maini opened 2021 competing for Mumbai Falcons in the F3 Asian Championship alongside Formula 2 driver Jehan Daruvala. After a difficult start, a run of seven points finishes in the last nine races including a podium at the Abu Dhabi finale moved him to eleventh. His only other race of 2021 was a one-off LMP2 outing at the 6 Hours of Bahrain for ARC Bratislava in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
In 2022, Maini progressed to the FIA Formula 3 Championship with MP Motorsport alongside Caio Collet and Alexander Smolyar. After qualifying third in Bahrain but starting from the back of the grid for both races due to missing the weighbridge, he scored his first points of the season at Imola with a fifth-place finish. Further points came at Silverstone. His best weekend arrived at Budapest: he qualified sixth, finished third in the sprint race after a mistake from Isack Hadjar ahead, and followed up with seventh in the feature race. That podium was his only one of the year; he ended the season fourteenth with 31 points.
Maini was confirmed for Campos Racing in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 season in November 2022. He qualified sixth at the Bahrain opener, made a strong feature-race start to second before eventually finishing fourth, and scored fifth in the Jeddah sprint. He claimed his first F2 podium in the Melbourne sprint after a battle with Arthur Leclerc. In Baku, fourth and fifth place finishes lifted him to fifth in the standings early in the year. A Monaco incident in the sprint was partially salvaged by a red flag, and he finished sixth in the feature race without having changed tyres. Results declined in Barcelona and subsequent rounds due to incidents and Campos' falling race pace. He returned to points with sixth in the Budapest sprint and eighth in the chaotic Spa-Francorchamps feature race. At Monza he qualified sixth and finished fifth in the sprint before retiring from the feature race after a collision with Jak Crawford broke his front wing. At the Yas Marina finale, a penalty for spinning out Juan Manuel Correa in the sprint contributed to a difficult close to the season. Maini ended the year eleventh in the standings with 62 points and one podium, finishing ahead of compatriot Daruvala.
For 2024, Maini joined Invicta Racing alongside reigning Formula 3 champion and McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto. In Bahrain, he set the fastest qualifying time but was disqualified for a technical infringement; he then made up fourteen places in the feature race for seventh. At Jeddah, he qualified second alongside Oliver Bearman, before being promoted to pole position after Bearman skipped the round to take part in the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
In 2025, Maini joined DAMS Lucas Oil alongside Jak Crawford. After a slow start he took his second F2 victory in the Monaco sprint race, starting from reverse-grid pole.
Maini remained in Formula 2 for a fourth season in 2026, joining ART Grand Prix alongside Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak.
In October 2023, Maini joined the Alpine Academy. His maiden Formula One test took place at the Red Bull Ring in the Alpine A522, an experience he described as "a dream come true." Over the following six months he completed further tests at Imola, Yas Marina, and Lusail. In March 2025, he was announced as one of Alpine's test and reserve drivers for the season alongside Paul Aron, Franco Colapinto, and Ryō Hirakawa. In July 2025, Maini drove the Alpine A523 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. At the end of 2025, he completed 128 laps in the Alpine A525 at the Yas Marina young drivers' test. Maini continued as test and reserve driver for Alpine in 2026.
In November 2023, Maini was confirmed as reserve driver for Mahindra Racing for the 2023–24 Formula E season. He participated in the Berlin rookie test. In February 2025, Mahindra selected him for the rookie free practice session at the Diriyah ePrix, where he topped the timesheets. He returned with the team for the 2025 Berlin rookie test and continued as reserve driver for the 2025–26 season, with a scheduled appearance at the Madrid rookie test.
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