Conducted and Written by Caitlyn Gordon, Edited by Meghana Sree
Dino Beganovic heads into his second season in Formula 3, and the Swede hasn’t been shy of success in his past, grabbing the attention of the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari in his karting days and joining their academy in 2020.
Success with PREMA
Beganovic secured the 2022 FRECA title after dominating across the ten rounds, clinching four wins, and a further eight podiums. The Ferrari junior has accumulated 18 podiums and five wins throughout his single-seater journey so far – securing a sixth just a couple of weeks ago.
Throughout his single seater journey, which spans five years, the Swede has been racing with PREMA where he has secured all his wins and championships. Speaking to DIVEBOMB, Beganovic believes the connection he has with the team has been imperative to everything that he has achieved so far in single-seaters:
“For every year you are building a connection with the team, all the people inside, it feels like a second family to me. To work in that environment helps me alot because I really like to feel comfortable with people I work with, that is key to [the] success that I've had over the years.”
A solid start to the season
The 2024 season kicked off with a pole position for Beganovic who secured it with a 1:46.7431, However, with some unfortunate luck on Saturday’s feature race, the 19-year-old faced gear selection issues with his car and lost his advantage.
Looking to make amends, he started working his way up the field, effortlessly overtaking those in his path, however, the 22 laps weren’t enough to enter into a points scoring position and he wound up in 13th overall.
Continuing his conversation with DIVEBOMB, Beganovic speaks about the incredible start he had in Bahrain and how there were plenty of positives to take from the weekend:
“It’s been a really good season because the speed has been great, taking pole in Bahrain. We have amazing pace in races and it was a shame to walk away with only two points. But, I take only the positives from that weekend, the negatives we try to make sure it won't happen again.
“I am proud of the way I have started the season off that way and to show how strong we are.”
Reaching the top step in Australia
Although it wasn’t the start to the season he would’ve liked, Beganovic took the positives from the weekend and looked to bounce back in Australia.
The Swede continued by saying the tough loss in Bahrain was what motivated him to fight back in Australia as he and PREMA knew the speed and performance in both the car and himself:
“Getting back on track was the only thing I wanted [after Bahrain]. It was a bit tough, the first couple of days after the race, knowing that we had walked away with 16th in the championship with so much potential and not taking those points that we would have wanted.
“At the same time I switched my mindset and tried to focus on my performance during the whole weekend. The motivation was getting back to where we belong - which we did in the end.”
During Friday’s Qualifying session, Beganovic was in the pursuit for pole, with his two other competitors being his teammate, Gabriele Mini, and Leonard Fornaroli.
A late red flag was brought out and the top three had one final lap; in the end it was Fornaroli who took pole with Mini and Beganovic rounding out the top three.
For Sunday’s Feature race, the big game of chess at play was tyre management.
Albert Park is notorious for degrading tyres quicker, meaning with no mandatory F3 pit stops, drivers had to be extra careful during the long stint.
Beganovic shined during the race, keeping just the right amount of grip in his tyres which hugely benefited him in the closing stages of the race.
“Australia is quite similar to Budapest, so the medium tyres of this and last year, may be the best for the championship because we are managing a lot of tyres, I would say even more than F1 are doing.
“No matter how much you try you can't escape the degradation of the tyres, you either get it earlier in the middle of the race or later and that's the only way you can affect your driving, is to delay as much as possible.
“We did very well on Sunday managing [tyres] from lap one, when I tried to overtake Gabriele [Mini] and he held position, I settled back in my pace and managed my tyres and just took the opportunities that I got in the race further ahead. Luckily I still had some tyres on the last two laps and could push extra and get ahead of Fornaroli on DRS. It was a very solid race in terms of management and I think we did a spot on job.”
The Swede stuck close to the top of the field, waiting for the right moment to jump and whilst other drivers tyres started to degrade, he managed to keep grip on his.
At Turn 9, lap 14, Beganovic made the move that moved him into first place, subsequently crossing the line and taking his first Formula 3 victory. An excellent display of tyre management and control meant Beganovic finally got to stand on the top step.
Looking back on the win, Beganovic said: “It felt too long since I stepped on the top step!
“It was in Formula Regional last time - way too long. I hope it’s not the last time this season, I am looking for more moments this season. [Grabbing the win in Australia] felt amazing and for the whole team to take this win.
“There was some extra pressure on both mine and the team's shoulders to deliver in Australia - which we did - it was really nice [to take home a first victory in F3] and to have it on paper that we are in the fight for the championship - which we knew already from the start.”
Before Formula 3 heads to Imola for its third round of the season, there is a one month break where crucial testing will be taking place. PREMA and Beganovic look to test different parts of the car during the three day test and find some solutions:
“The test in Barcelona is coming in at a good time as there is some stuff that we want to check and test. It is very good to head into a test where you have stuff you want to get the answers to which maybe doesn't happen every time, I am very happy with that.”
Looking ahead for the rest of the season
Imola will take place on May 19th for the first time in two years. Due to torrential weather last season, the Imola Grand Prix was cancelled, meaning for a lot of Formula 3 drivers, this will be their first time at the circuit with Formula 3 machinery - including Beganovic.
However, the Swede hasn’t been a stranger to success in Imola, securing his first single seater victory at the track and dominating a couple of years later in FRECA, securing another win. Beganovic expressed his confidence to DIVEBOMB about the upcoming race and how he is determined to grab a victory there:
“I feel super excited and confident because I got my first single seater win there and Formula Regional. I hope I can tick it off in Formula 3 next and have a win in every category I’ve raced in.
“It’s [Imola] a very special place as I took my first pole and win there. I feel confident and comfortable with the track. It's something that suits me well with the high speeds. It was a shame it was cancelled last year as we have always had fantastic speed there with the team, I can’t wait to go back.”
Gazing forward, Beganovic eagerly awaits for F3 to head to Europe for the season, expressing his excitement to race at the Italian tracks later in the year:
“I’m looking forward to the Italian races, they are like home tracks since I have stayed in Italy since 2020. Being a part of an Italian team brings a lot of passion from the fans and a lot of support which I love. I noticed how much it was last time when I came [to the Italian tracks] and it is something I am really looking forward to.”
As the championship heads back to familiar soils in Europe, Beganvoic expects the competition to rise and believes the field will become a lot more tighter with both the rookies and experienced drivers knowing all the tracks well:
“It’s going to be a lot tighter than maybe it has been in terms of the championship with qualifying and the race, I think the rookies will take a step forward when we get to familiar tracks. I’m looking forward to the European races and Italy, of course.”
Formula 3 heads to the Imola track on the 17th of May for the third round of the championship, with Beganovic sitting just 11 points behind championship leader, Luke Browning.
Comentários