- Swede sets fastest lap in rapid Feature Race recovery
- Hitech racer scores in both F2 races in Hungary
Dino Beganovic heads into the FIA Formula 2 Championship summer break on the back of an encouraging weekend pace-wise at the Hungaroring, the Swede battling back from a qualifying mistake to score a pair of points-paying finishes and set the fastest lap of Sunday’s Feature Race.
Beganovic opened the Budapest event with P8 in Friday practice, having sat in the top three for much of the session. That left the Swedish driver cautiously optimistic heading into qualifying, where the signs of promise continued as Beganovic sat P6 on the timesheets once the field had completed their first flying laps.
However, a mistake in the quick lefthander of Turn 4 on his second set of tyres caused damage to the floor of Beganovic’s Hitech car, leaving him unable to improve in the crucial final moments of the session. As times tumbled, Beganovic wound up a disappointed 14th on the grid for both races of the weekend.
“It was one small mistake, but that’s all it takes sometimes and unfortunately it affected the outcome of the weekend quite badly,” says Dino Beganovic. “Especially here at the Hungaroring where it’s hard to overtake, it proved costly as it put me down in the midfield, but it’s on me and I’ll make sure to learn from that.”
In the races, however, Beganovic demonstrated uplifting pace, getting some positive answers in dry-weather conditions that marked a clear step forward over recent events.
After recording an eighth-place finish to pick up a point in Saturday’s Sprint Race, having been stuck in a DRS train for most of the event, Beganovic’s best opportunity came in Sunday’s Feature Race with compulsory pit stops.
The Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy youngster opted for the alternative strategy, starting on the medium Pirelli tyre compound before a late move to softs for the final laps.
That tactic proved efficient, as Beganovic reeled off a series of fast in- and out laps to overhaul his nearest opponents and move up the order to seventh place.
Underscoring his encouraging pace, Beganovic recorded the fastest lap of the race by a 0.4-second margin as he closed in on the pack ahead, challenging for P6 but ultimately falling half a second short at the chequered flag.
With the bonus point for fastest lap, the effort rewarded Beganovic with another seven points to add to his weekend tally.
“I’m really happy with the recovery today, setting the fastest lap and picking up some more points,” Dino Beganovic continues. “The pace was really good and I think we had the potential to move even further forward, but I got stuck in the battle for sixth in the end, which was a bit frustrating.
“All in all, though, it’s been a strong comeback after the mistake in qualifying, scoring points in both races. We’re taking some real positives away from here, especially the pace today. I think it’s the quickest we’ve been all year, which is a nice feeling for everyone to take into the summer break. We’re getting there, and that’s encouraging.”
After a busy summer, the FIA Formula 2 Championship now takes a five-week pause before action resumes at Monza on September 5-7.
RESULTS
FIA Formula 2 Championship
Rd. 10 – Budapest (HUN)
Race 1 (Sprint Race)
1: J. Martí (ESP), Campos Racing
2: A. Dunne (IRE), Rodin Motorsport
3: J. Crawford (USA), DAMS Lucas Oil
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8: D. Beganovic (SWE), Hitech
Race 2 (Feature Race)
1: L. Fornaroli (ITA), Invicta Racing
2: R. Stanek (CZE), Invicta Racing
3: J. Crawford (USA), DAMS Lucas Oil
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7: D. Beganovic (SWE), Hitech
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
FIA Formula 2 Championship
After 10/14 rounds
1: L. Fornaroli (ITA), Invicta Racing, 154 p.
2: J. Crawford (USA), DAMS Lucas Oil, 137 p.
3: R. Verschoor (NED), MP Motorsport, 135 p.
4: L. Browning (GBR), Hitech, 125 p.
5: A. Dunne (IRE), Rodin Motorsport, 124 p.
—
11: D. Beganovic (SWE), Hitech, 58 p.
