– Ferrari Driver Academy youngster seals best result to date in 2021
– Swede bags P4 in dry qualifying and wet race
Dino Beganovic mastered a trademark Spa-Francorchamps deluge to score his best result to date in the Formula Regional European Championship this weekend, leading the rookie charts to come home fourth on his first visit to the Belgian Ardennes.
The outcome saw Beganovic combine his skills in mixed weather conditions, as he powered to season-best performances first in a fully dry qualifying session and then in a wet race to take P4 in both.
Beganovic’s measured drive – which came in the first race of the double-header meeting – saw the Swede simultaneously finish as the top series newcomer, allowing him onto the famous Spa podium to receive the rookie award.
“That was my best race this season, but also the most difficult I’ve ever driven,” says Dino Beganovic. “The visibility at times was zero – and when I say zero, I mean zero. Very, very tricky to just keep the car on track, but I picked my marks carefully and tried to anticipate where the other cars were going. It was an experience that will definitely help me in the future and I’m happy that I managed to bring home that P4 result in those conditions.”
Beganovic later wrapped up the weekend with a rise through the 33-car pack from 23rd on the grid to 14th in Sunday’s (dry) Race 2, held back by the events of a haphazard preceding qualifying session in greasy conditions.
“We were unlucky with yellow flags in that Race 2 qualifying session, so I essentially had to back out of both my fastest laps,” the Ferrari Driver Academy member concludes. “That left me well down the order and, especially with the race then being fully dry, I think it’s decent enough to have made up those nine positions. The pace has been strong this weekend and overall I am very pleased with this kind of performance on my first visit to Spa – which is a sensational track to drive!”
Dino Beganovic now moves into fifth in the rookie standings, holding 15th in the overall classification.
The next Formula Regional European Championship round was originally pencilled in for the Nürburgring on 6-8 August, but that meeting has since been cancelled due to the recent floodings in the Eifel region.
Instead, Beganovic and his fellow rivals will have to wait until 10-12 September for activities to resume at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.
RESULTS
Formula Regional European Championship
Rd. 6 – Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
RACE 1 (view full results)
1: M. Belov (RUS), G4 Racing
2: H. David (FRA), R-Ace GP
3: Z. Maloney (BAR), R-Ace GP
4: D. Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
5: P. Pasma (FIN), ART Grand Prix
RACE 2 (view full results)
1: G. Saucy (SUI), ART Grand Prix
2: Z. Maloney (BAR), R-Ace GP
3: H. David (FRA), R-Ace GP
4: G. Minì (ITA), ART Grand Prix
5: M. Belov (RUS), G4 Racing
—
14: D. Beganovic (SWE), Prema Powerteam
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Formula Regional European Championship
After 6/10 rounds
Overall (view full standings)
1: G. Saucy (SUI), 189 p.
2: H. David (FRA), 129 p.
3: Z. Maloney (BAR), 124 p.
4: G. Minì (ITA), 110 p.
5: I. Hadjar (FRA), 103 p.
—
15: D. Beganovic (SWE), 24 p.
Rookies (view full standings)
1: G. Minì (ITA), 110 p.
2: I. Hadjar (FRA), 103 p.
3: M. Boya (ESP), 29 p.
4: T. ten Brinke (NED), 28 p.
5: D. Beganovic (SWE), 24 p.
