Triple podium enables top three championship rise
Dino Beganovic clinched the first single-seater victory of his career on a highly successful weekend of racing in the penultimate round of the F4 Italian Championship at Imola.
Beganovic led the ultra-competitive 34-car field across the line to win the second race of three at the fabled Grand Prix track, the Ferrari Driver Academy youngster backing up his breakthrough victory with another two podiums in races one (P2) and three (P3).
“Taking my first single-seater victory is a very emotional moment for me,” says Dino Beganovic. “It’s something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time, and one of my ultimate goals this season. It’s a great feeling and goes to show the level of our capacity.”
Beganovic was a constant feature at the top of the timesheets throughout the weekend, laying the foundations for his success in qualifying on Saturday morning – where he positioned his Prema Powerteam car on the front row for each of the three races.
Crucially, Beganovic went fastest of all in qualifying for Race 2 to snatch his second pole position of the season – the first also coming at Imola earlier in the year.
From pole, the 16-year-old Swede went on to control proceedings from the front, overcoming no fewer than four safety car restarts to clinch an emotional first single-seater victory.
Further underlining his pace, Beganovic also set the fastest lap of both the first and second race of the weekend.
“It’s been a fantastic weekend with one pole position, one victory, two fastest laps and a clean-sweep of podiums,” Dino Beganovic continues. “It’s great, and a real confidence boost. Big thanks to Prema Powerteam and to Ferrari for all of the support. Now that I know what it’s like to win, I definitely want more, so let’s go for it in the remaining races!”
Following his successful weekend at Imola, Beganovic now improves from sixth to third in the overall standings, with the runner-up slot firmly within striking distance heading into the final round of the season.
The Swedish F4 rookie is the highest-placed non-Italian in the championship, which has now been won by Gabriele Minì.
The F4 Italian Championship concludes at Vallelunga, on the outskirts of Rome, on December 4-6.
RESULTS
Formula 4 Italian Championship
Round 6 – Imola (top five)
RACE 1 (download full results)
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1: Gabriele Minì (ITA), Prema Powerteam
2: Dino Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
3: Jak Crawford (USA), Van Amersfoort Racing
4: Leonardo Fornaroli (ITA), Iron Lynx
5: Jonny Edgar (GBR), Van Amersfoort Racing
RACE 2 (download full results)
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1: Dino Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
2: Gabriele Minì (ITA), Prema Powerteam
3: Jak Crawford (USA), Van Amersfoort Racing
4: Joshua Durksen (GER), Mücke Motorsport
5: Leonardo Fornaroli (ITA), Iron Lynx
RACE 3 (download full results)
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1: Jak Crawford (USA), Van Amersfoort Racing
2: Gabriele Minì (ITA), Prema Powerteam
3: Dino Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
4: Jonny Edgar (GBR), Van Amersfoort Racing
5: Francesco Pizzi (ITA), Van Amersfoort Racing
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Formula 4 Italian Championship
