– Ferrari Driver Academy youngster set to race on other side of the world
– Swedish F3 rookie takes on-debut podium momentum to Melbourne
Dino Beganovic is travelling to the other side of the globe this week as the FIA Formula 3 Championship resumes in support of the Australian Grand Prix.
Beganovic makes the voyage to Melbourne’s Albert Park on the back of a convincing F3 debut in Bahrain earlier this month, where the PREMA Racing Swede instantly graced the podium to set up a textbook start to his 2023 campaign.
As the field returns to action this weekend in round two, it does so at a brand new venue for Formula 3, which is heading out to Australia for the first time in series history. For 19-year-old Beganovic, it marks an exciting occasion both on and off the track.
“Personally, heading out to Australia is one of the things I’ve been looking forward to the most this year,” says Dino Beganovic. “It will be fascinating to see the other side of the world, and it seems like a beautiful country. I have so many memories of waking up early to watch the Grand Prix in Melbourne over the years, and now heading there to race myself is super cool.”
With no previous knowledge of the track for either Beganovic or his rivals, the Albert Park event is carte blanche for the entire paddock – making preparations even more crucial than ever.
“We have put a lot of effort and time into preparing for this weekend, more than we normally do at a known track,” Beganovic explains. “I’ve spent hours and hours in the sim, we’ve had numerous meetings, and we’ve tried to really go into all the details of what we think will be important here. All the guys at PREMA have really dug deep, even before we arrived.
“I think on a weekend like this, it’s also extra beneficial for me to have the support of Ferrari. They obviously know the track, so I can try to draw from their experience. It will be a very interesting weekend, and given the pace we showed in Bahrain, we have every reason to be excited!”
F3 activities Down Under begin on Friday with practice and qualifying, followed by the Sprint Race on Saturday and Feature Race on Sunday. The races take place in the Australian morning, which means a late-night show for viewers in Europe.
TIME TABLE (LOCAL TIME GMT+11)
FIA Formula 3 Championship
Rd. 2 – Melbourne (AUS)
Friday 31 March
Practice: 08.50-09.35
Qualifying: 14.00-14.30
Saturday 1 April
Race 1: 10.45-11.30
Sunday 2 April
Race 2: 09.05-09.50
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
FIA Formula 3 Championship
After 1/10 rounds (full standings)
1: G. Bortoleto (BRA), Trident, 26 p.
2: O. Goethe (GER), Trident, 23 p.
3: D. Beganovic (SWE), PREMA Racing, 22 p.
4: P. Martí (ESP), Campos Racing, 19 p.
5: G. Saucy (SUI), ART Grand Prix, 16 p.
LIVE TIMING / RESULTS
www.fiaformula3.com
