– Formula Regional leader salvages important points in Budapest
– Contact puts Ferrari Driver Academy member out of contention in Race 2
Dino Beganovic continues to lead the Formula Regional European Championship albeit with a reduced advantage following a difficult weekend at the Hungaroring.
Competing at the Budapest venue for the first time of his career, Beganovic pulled himself from 11th on the grid to seventh by the chequered flag in the opening race of the double-header meeting on Saturday, snatching six potentially decisive championship points.
“We managed to get some points in Race 1, which was pretty much the maximum we could have hoped for after qualifying,” says Dino Beganovic. “It’s very hard to overtake around Hungaroring, but also we didn’t really have the pace to move further ahead, so at the end of the day I was pretty pleased with seventh – those points may prove critical in the end.”
Eager to improve for the final day of racing on Sunday, Beganovic and Prema Powerteam duly unlocked more pace overnight, slashing their qualifying deficit from six tenths on Saturday to just 0.270s in Qualifying 2.
However, the ultra-competitive nature of Formula Regional competition still left Beganovic only sixth fastest in group, translating into 12th on the aggregate Race 2 grid.
Contact on the opening lap – twice – then effectively scuppered any chances of a points-paying result, with Beganovic having to make do with 16th at the line.
“A difficult weekend overall, where we’ve lacked some pace and where I haven’t had the confidence in the car,” says Dino Beganovic. “We did take quite a big step overnight for Sunday, but the field is so closely matched and it obviously wasn’t enough.
“It’s been disappointing, but we know we can do a lot better. We need to work hard ahead of the next race at Spa to make sure we’re back where we belong, which is up there at the front fighting for victories.”
Following the weekend in Budapest, Beganovic’s championship lead has now been reduced to nine points. Since winning the first race of the campaign at Monza, the Swede has never been headed in the standings so far this season.
The Formula Regional European Championship continues at Belgium’s famed Grand Prix circuit of Spa-Francorchamps on July 27-29.
RESULTS
Formula Regional European Championship
Rd. 6 – Hungaroring (HUN)
RACE 1 (full results)
1: K. Haverkort (NED), Van Amersfoort Racing
2: G. Minì (ITA), ART Grand Prix
3: R. Bilinski (GBR), Trident
4: L. Fornaroli (ITA), Trident
5: J. Dufek (CHE), Van Amersfoort Racing
—
7: D. Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
RACE 2 (full results)
1: H. David (FRA), R-ACE GP
2: G. Minì (ITA), ART Grand Prix
3: G. Bortoleto (BRA), R-ACE GP
4: T. Tramnitz (GER), Trident
5: L. Fornaroli (ITA), Trident
—
16: D. Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Formula Regional European Championship
After 6/10 rounds (full standings)
1: D. Beganovic (SWE), 180 p.*
2: G. Minì (ITA), 171 p.
3: P. Aron (EST), 152 p.
4: H. David (FRA), 129 p.
5: K. Haverkort (NED), 122 p.
* Paul Ricard Race 2 podium under appeal. Dino originally finished second in the race, but was subsequently disqualified for an alleged technical irregularity. Prema have appealed the decision. With official confirmation pending, the current championship standings shown here denote zero points for Paul Ricard Race 2.
