- Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy member on site in China for FIA FR World Cup
- 27 drivers from 16 nations form part of Macau Grand Prix showdown
The most iconic race in junior motorsport, the Macau Grand Prix, takes place this weekend with Dino Beganovic returning to the famed street event for the inaugural FIA FR World Cup.
Lining up for SJM Theodore PREMA Racing, Beganovic is preparing to tackle the unique challenge of Macau’s ultra-demanding Guia street track for a second consecutive year, phasing in a new era for the revered race as Formula Regional cars are used for the first time following decades as a Formula 3 event.
Consequently, Macau will mark a return to Formula Regional competition for Beganovic, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy youngster having raced in the category in 2021 and 2022. In the latter year, he clinched the Formula Regional European Championship title, winning at another famed street circuit – Monaco – along the way.
Carrying the new FIA FR World Cup banner in reference to the Formula Regional rules, the 2024 Macau Grand Prix will feature a grid of 27 drivers from 16 different countries, all vying for glory in one of motorsport’s most legendary races.
ENTRY LIST: Macau Grand Prix – FIA FR World Cup
“Macau is something very special and certainly one of my favourite races,” says Dino Beganovic. “There’s a reason I wanted to come back, and that’s because it’s simply unique. The atmosphere is one of a kind and the driving challenge is amazing. It’s a street track that has both some of the widest and fastest, and some of the tightest and slowest, sections anywhere in the world both in the same lap. I’m so excited to be back with SJM Theodore PREMA Racing to do this race again.”
Beganovic, who was recently announced for the final two rounds of the FIA Formula 2 Championship later this year, ran up front for most of last year’s Macau Grand Prix, but ultimately crashed out in the main race when battling for victory.
“We were quick last year, and while it came to a disappointing end, the pace we had makes me confident,” Dino Beganovic continues. “It’s obviously a different car this year, though, and one that I haven’t driven for two years, so that will add to the challenge, but I do have great memories of Formula Regional after winning the title in 2022. It will be a fun reunion and there could be no better place for it than Macau.”
Steeped in history as a standalone extravaganza in the Far East to close out each season, the Macau Grand Prix has helped propel generations of up-and-coming drivers into the limelight on their path to Formula 1. Former winners in the Chinese gambling metropolis include the likes of Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
Dino Beganovic is the sole Swedish driver on the grid this year. Felix Rosenqvist (2014/2015) and Rickard Rydell (1992) – now acting as Beganovic’s manager – remain the only two Swedish winners of the race to date.
Like last year, the Macau Grand Prix features a four-day event programme, beginning with practice and a pair of qualifying sessions across Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, a 10-lap Qualifying Race will be held, determining the final grid for Sunday’s all-important, 15-lap Grand Prix.
The 2024 Macau Grand Prix – FIA FR World Cup features extensive live streaming. Links will be available at www.dinoracing.se.
TIME TABLE
FIA FR World Cup
Macau Grand Prix (CHN)
All times local (GMT+8)
Thursday 14 November
Free Practice 1: 09.15-09.55
Qualifying 1: 15.25-16.05
Friday 15 November
Free Practice 2: 09.20-10.00
Qualifying 2: 14.55-15.35
Saturday 16 November
Qualifying Race (10 laps): 15.30
Sunday 17 November
Macau Grand Prix (15 laps): 15.30
STREAMING / TIMING / RESULTS
www.dinoracing.se
www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/en
ENTRY LIST
FIA FR World Cup
