– Ferrari Driver Academy youngster takes lights-to-flag win as season gets underway at Monza
– Pole position, fastest lap and double podium mark near-perfect start for early championship leader
Dino Beganovic delivered a powerful message as the Formula Regional European Championship sprung to life at Monza, finishing on the podium in both races of the weekend and storming to a commanding first victory in the ultra-competitive single-seater series.
Beganovic was in emphatic form throughout the opening round of the season, maturely navigating mixed weather conditions to assert himself atop the early championship standings in a supreme start to the 2022 campaign.
The Ferrari Driver Academy member laid down the marker immediately in the first qualifying session on Saturday morning, shooting to pole position – more than three tenths clear of the opposition in the impressive 37-car field.
A burst of rain saw a radical change in conditions going into the first race of the season, but Beganovic remained firmly in control, leading for the full duration, setting comfortably the fastest lap of the race, and picking up his first win in the Formula Regional European Championship in grand-slam fashion.
“Yes! What a great start to the season,” comments an elated Dino Beganovic. “Pole position, fastest lap, and victory – it just couldn’t be better. It was a hard day’s work with qualifying in the dry and then racing in the wet, but we showed we had the speed in any conditions and I am absolutely thrilled to start off the new season with my first win in the championship. Fantastic!”
Beganovic then followed up his Saturday success with another strong performance on Sunday, taking second place in the concluding Race 2 of the weekend to complete a dominant 1-2 victory for Prema Powerteam behind stablemate Paul Aron.
“The team has done an amazing job all week, giving us a fantastic car here around Monza,” Beganovic concludes. “We needed to make the most of that with the performance we’ve had here, and we did. I am so happy for everyone on the team and I really have to thank all the guys at Prema, Ferrari Driver Academy, and my sponsors, for giving me the opportunity to experience one of the best weekends of my career so far.”
With first and second place in the Monza double-header, Beganovic leaves the opening round of the season as the early championship leader.
The Formula Regional European Championship will remain in Italy for round two of the season at Imola on May 6-8.
RESULTS
RACE 1 (full results)
1: D. Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
2: M. Belov (N/A), MP Motorsport
3: L. Fluxa (ESP), R-ACE GP
4: H. David (FRA), R-ACE GP
5: K. Haverkort (NED), Van Amersfoort Racing
RACE 2 (full results)
1: P. Aron (EST), Prema Powerteam
2: D. Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
3: G. Minì (ITA), ART Grand Prix
4: K. Haverkort (NED), Van Amersfoort Racing
5: M. Belov (N/A), MP Motorsport
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Formula Regional European Championship
After 1/10 rounds (full standings)
1: D. Beganovic (SWE), 43 p.
2: M. Belov (N/A), 28 p.
3: P. Aron (EST), 25 p.
4: K. Haverkort (NED), 22 p.
5: H. David (FRA), 18 p.
