Beganovic endures tough weekend in penultimate FR Asia round

– Ferrari Driver Academy youngster fails to score in Round 4
– Technical issue denies Swede likely podium in weekend finale

Dino Beganovic – a race winner seven days ago – underwent a much more troubled outing this weekend at the Dubai Autodrome in the penultimate round of the Formula Regional Asian Championship.

The Ferrari Driver Academy-backed Swede entered this weekend’s triple-header in high spirits following his recent breakthrough success, but instead suffered a series of frustrating setbacks.

Beganovic continued to showcase strong pace around the Dubai Autodrome, lapping just fractions off pole in qualifying and recording the fastest lap of the weekend-ending Race 3.

However, a first-corner mistake in Race 1 saw the Mumbai Falcons driver retire on the opening lap, with the added undesirable effect of having to start the subsequent Race 2 from the back of the grid.

Although Beganovic stormed through from 27^th to 14^th in an entertaining second race, it was not enough to break into the point-scoring top ten, and the Swede then retired again with technical issues in the concluding Race 3 when holding third place and appearing well on course for a podium.

“That was really not our weekend,” Dino Beganovic sums up. “We got zero points, so it’s obviously a big disappointment. We were very, very strong in qualifying this time, so that’s a positive to take with us, but after that it really didn’t go our way.

“I made a mistake in Race 1 and retired on the first lap, so that was on me, and then in the last race it was going well with fastest lap and running P3 until we had an engine failure. Tough one to take, but we’ll be back looking for a lot more in Abu Dhabi.”

With four of five rounds now completed, the Formula Regional Asian Championship will return to action for a final time this season next weekend, as Beganovic wows to bow out in style at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit. The 18-year-old will enter the finale sitting fifth in the standings, immersed in a battle primarily over third place.