- Swede preparing for career-first races in USA
- Rescheduled F2 campaign resumes in transatlantic first
The FIA Formula 2 Championship returns to the limelight this weekend in a historic first visit to America, as Dino Beganovic also readies for his own maiden races on the continent.
Setting camp in Miami for the first time, Formula 2 is ready to resume racing with a late addition to the calendar, finally bringing the 22-car field back on track after the season-opener in Australia two months ago.
Miami joins the fray after recent events in the Middle East rendered the April rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia void, pairing up with Montreal (May 22-24) to bring the F1 feeder series onto American shores.
Dino Beganovic has never previously raced at any level in the Americas, and the 22-year-old DAMS Lucas Oil driver is determined to make his Miami debut a lasting memory after qualifying on pole at the Melbourne opener.
“I’m very excited about racing in Miami this weekend, and I’m feeling more than ready,” says the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy racer. “It’s been a long break since Australia, but it could have been even longer and the championship has done a good job getting us back on track here in difficult circumstances. I’m really looking forward to racing in both Miami and in Canada. First time in America for me, so it will be a new experience.”
Although a new venue per definition for Beganovic, the Miami International Autodrome – a 5.4 km temporary circuit laid out around the city’s Hard Rock Stadium NFL arena – is not an unknown commodity as such.
“I have actually driven Miami a lot in the simulator, both with DAMS and Ferrari, so it doesn’t really feel like a new track to me,” Dino Beganovic concludes. “That said, there are some nuances that you can only really pick up in real life, but I do feel as well prepared as I could possibly be heading to a new track for the first time.
“Miami has a bit of everything. It exposes both the car and driver. The first sector is very high speed and downforce-reliant. The middle sector is slow and all about the rotation through the tight corners. Then you’ve got the final sector, which is essentially just one hairpin and a very long straight.
“There should be plenty of overtaking opportunities and good racing this weekend. It’s super exciting to be back on track and try to build on the pace we had in Melbourne.”
Formula 2’s first time featuring on the Miami Grand Prix support bill will see the championship undertake its normal weekend format, commencing with practice and qualifying on Friday. The Sprint Race takes place on Saturday and the one-hour Feature Race on Sunday.
TIME TABLE
FIA Formula 2 Championship
Rd. 2 – Miami (USA)
All times local (GMT-4)
Friday May 1
Free Practice: 09.30-10.15
Qualifying: 14.30-15.00
Saturday May 2
Sprint Race (23 laps): 10.00-10.45
Sunday May 3
Feature Race (32 laps): 12.30-13.30
LIVE TIMING / RESULTS
www.fiaformula2.com
