- Swede battles for victory in Miami wet-weather thriller
- DAMS Lucas Oil driver stages memorable fightback as F2 season resumes
Dino Beganovic played a leading role in an epic resumption to the FIA Formula 2 Championship in Miami, battling for victory in a memorable down-to-the-wire Feature Race in treacherous conditions.
Almost two months after the F2 season got underway in Australia, racing finally resumed this weekend as the Formula 1 feeder series paid its first ever visit to the USA.
It did so with no lack of entertainment, with Beganovic in the heat of the action.
Having qualified on pole at the Melbourne opener, the DAMS Lucas Oil driver was initially disappointed to line up 11th at the Miami International Autodrome – but delivered a resounding comeback in Sunday’s Feature Race.
A spell of overnight rain saw conditions change drastically from Saturday (where Beganovic had finished eighth in the Sprint Race), making adaptability key on what was now suddenly a damp track.
Beganovic kept his composure in the heavy midfield spray to move gradually up the order on the opening laps, picking off his rivals to find himself in the top five as the race settled in.
Following the mandatory pit stops, the Swede had continued his rise and was up to third, setting up a dramatic finish on a slowly drying track.
The final couple of laps saw a frenetic scrap over victory between Beganovic, Rafael Câmara and Gabriele Minì, with the trio swapping positions and Beganovic momentarily in the lead heading onto the penultimate lap.
However while battling wheel to wheel with Minì through the tight Turn 14/15 chicane, Beganovic briefly went off the track, skipping across the inside kerb.
Although he maintained his lead as he resumed, Beganovic opted to let his rival pass immediately after to avoid potentially picking up a penalty.
The battle then continued unabated on the final lap, with Beganovic almost reclaiming the lead at the last corner but ultimately taking second place.
It completed a memorable drive that saw him make up nine positions and claim his first podium of 2026.
“It was a crazy race, possibly the craziest of my life,” says Dino Beganovic. “I had a good start and was feeling confident early on, picking up places one by one. Then after the pit stop, the tyres began overheating a bit – which is something we struggled with in qualifying as well and need to look into.
“Still, I was able to fight for the win all the way to the line, which was very, very positive from where we started today. I’m delighted with second place here in Miami and it’s such a nice feeling to finally put some good points on the board.
“We take a lot of positives from here, not least in the wet, and I really want to thank the team for working so hard this weekend to make this result possible.”
Beganovic now moves up to sixth in the F2 standings, having retired with a mechanical issue while also battling for the win in the opening Feature Race of the year in Australia.
Formula 2 will remain in North America for the next round of the championship in Montreal (Canada) on May 22-24.
RESULTS
FIA Formula 2 Championship
Rd. 2 – Miami (USA)
Race 1 (Sprint Race)
1: N. Tsolov (BUL), Campos Racing
2: L. van Hoepen (NED), Trident
3: A. Dunne (IRE), Rodin Motorsport
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8: D. Beganovic (SWE), DAMS Lucas Oil
Race 2 (Feature Race)
1: G. Minì (ITA), MP Motorsport
2: D. Beganovic (SWE), DAMS Lucas Oil
3: R. Câmara (BRA), Invicta Racing
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
FIA Formula 2 Championship
After 2/14 rounds
1: N. Tsolov (BUL), Campos Racing, 35 p.
2: R. Câmara (BRA), Invicta Racing, 34 p.
3: G. Minì (ITA), MP Motorsport, 34 p.
4: L. van Hoepen (NED), Trident, 26 p.
5: R. Miyata (JPN), Hitech, 22 p.
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6: D. Beganovic (SWE), DAMS Lucas Oil, 21 p.
