Dino Beganovic has wrapped up his rookie season of single-seater racing by finishing third overall in the hotly contested 2020 Italian Formula 4 Championship.
16-year-old Swede Beganovic entered this weekend’s season-finale at Rome’s Vallelunga circuit holding third in the overall standings, and cemented the same position at the end of activity following three days of running in treacherous weather.
“It’s a really great feeling to end my first year in single-seater racing inside the top three,” says Dino Beganovic. “It’s been a very difficult finale in extremely slippery conditions, but thankfully I managed to keep it on the black stuff and do what I needed to. That’s one of the main lessons learned this year, to just keep scoring decent points and avoiding any silly mistakes.”
With the season stretching well into December as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the F4 field tip-toed its way through a notoriously challenging conclusion to the campaign on the outskirts of the Italian capital.
Intense rain caused the second race of the triple-header weekend to be cancelled altogether, while the two remaining contests featured several incidents and safety car interventions.
Beganovic, however, kept clear of mistakes as he recovered from a lottery qualifying session on a drying track, making considerable headway in both races to finish fifth and tenth respectively to cap off the season. Beganovic had actually come home seventh in the final race – from 20th on the grid – but was reshuffled to tenth on countback to the previous lap when the race was red-flagged late on.
Regardless, the outcome was enough for the Ferrari Driver Academy member to seal third overall in the final standings, finishing as the top non-Italian behind Gabriele Minì and Francesco Pizzi in what is considered one of the world’s toughest junior single-seater categories.
Beganovic stepped up to F4 this season following a successful career in international karting, and has enjoyed a promising transitional year under the guiding light of leading squad Prema Powerteam.
With his debut season now in the books, Beganovic can look back at numerous important milestones, including two pole positions, four fastest laps, six podium finishes and an emotional breakthrough maiden win.
Beganovic has also contributed towards Prema Powerteam winning the teams’ championship.
“I have got to be pleased with the way this season has evolved,” Dino Beganovic continues. “As a single-seater rookie I feel I have struck the right balance between learning fast and not stressing anything. I have won a race, I have been on the podium, I have started on pole, and now we’re here, top three overall. I’m proud about that and I have had tremendous support from Prema, Ferrari and my sponsors. A huge thank you for that – it has been invaluable.”
The 2020 Italian Formula 4 Championship has featured 20 races (21 including the cancelled Vallelunga race) across seven weekends. A grand total of 44 drivers have taken part in the series this season, 28 of whom have scored points.
RESULTS
Formula 4 Italian Championship
Round 7 – Vallelunga (top five)
RACE 1 (download full results)
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1: Oliver Bearman (GBR), US Racing
2: Francesco Pizzi (ITA), Van Amersfoort Racing
3: Jonny Edgar (GBR), Van Amersfoort Racing
4: Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA), Prema Powerteam
5: Dino Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
RACE 2 (cancelled due to rain)
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RACE 3 (download full results)
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1: Jonny Edgar (GBR), Van Amersfoort Racing
2: Kyrill Smal (RUS), Prema Powerteam
3: Gabriele Minì (ITA), Prema Powerteam
4: Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA), Prema Powerteam
5: Jak Crawford (USA), Van Amersfoort Racing
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10: Dino Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Formula 4 Italian Championship
