– Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy youngster ready to tackle sophomore F3 campaign
– Swede remains with PREMA Racing for fresh charge in F1’s feeder series
Dino Beganovic is venturing out to Bahrain this week to start his second season in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, as the much-anticipated 2024 campaign begins in earnest in the Arabian desert.
Beganovic, who is once again staying on with Italian outfit PREMA Racing, is looking to build on a promising first year in FIA F3 that saw the Swede score four feature race podiums en route to sixth in the standings.
That makes him the highest-placed returning driver on the 2024 grid, and Beganovic is determined to get going in the curtain-raising event of the 10-round calendar.
“I’m extremely keen to start this new season and to move into my second year in FIA Formula 3”, says Dino Beganovic. “It’s been a long winter and I’m just so excited to get back to racing. I feel well-prepared, knowing all the tracks on the calendar and the ins and outs of the car, so we’ll be aiming high this year no doubt.”
Beganovic joined the rest of the 30-car F3 field in a three-day pre-season test in Bahrain two weeks ago, ending the final session on top of the timesheets.
The 20-year-old Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy member, however, knows testing is one thing and racing is another.
“Ending the test on top was a nice little bonus, but it doesn’t mean that much in itself,” Dino Beganovic concludes. “More importantly, we managed to check a lot of items off the list that I think will be useful for us throughout the entire season.
“In Bahrain this weekend, it will be about drawing on those experiences and making sure we get a strong start to build on for the rest of the year. Competition in F3 is always extremely tough, but I think we’re in a good spot and we’re all highly motivated to get underway. I can’t wait!”
The opening round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, it is worth noting, takes place on a different schedule to what is usually in place. Sitting on the Formula 1 support bill, the F3 event follows the overriding Bahrain Grand Prix schedule that features a Thursday-Saturday format this season.
Consequently, the F3 field will stage both practice and qualifying already on Thursday, followed by the season-opening sprint race on Friday and the F1-preceding feature race on Saturday.Live streaming of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship is available through F1 TV.
TIME TABLE
FIA Formula 3 Championship
Rd. 1 – Bahrain (BHR)
All times local (GMT+3)
Thursday 29 February
Practice: 10.55-11.40
Qualifying: 16.00-16.30
Friday 1 March
Race 1: 13.15-14.00
Saturday 2 March
Race 2: 12.00-12.45
LIVE TIMING / RESULTS
www.fiaformula3.com
ENTRY LIST
FIA Formula 3 Championship 2024
