- Swede set for milestone moment in first official Formula 1 race weekend appearance
- 21-year-old to slot in alongside Lewis Hamilton in opening Bahrain Grand Prix practice
Dino Beganovic will drive for Scuderia Ferrari HP in first free practice at next month’s Bahrain Grand Prix, marking his debut in an official Formula 1 session.
21-year-old Beganovic will get behind the wheel of Charles Leclerc’s SF-25 for the opening one-hour session (“FP1”) at Bahrain International Circuit, slotting in alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
This is in line with FIA regulations requiring all Formula 1 race drivers to hand over their car to young rookie drivers in practice sessions at least twice per year.
Through his outing in Bahrain on April 11, Beganovic will become only the second Swede in history to drive for Ferrari in Formula 1, following on from Stefan Johansson who scored six podiums from 31 starts while racing with the Maranello outfit in 1985 and 1986.
”Driving for Scuderia Ferrari HP in FP1 in Bahrain next month will be a surreal moment for me,” says Dino Beganovic. ”Formula 1 is my ultimate dream and now I’m going to take part in an official race weekend session with the most iconic team in F1 history.
“Words can’t explain how excited I am. It will be a lot to take in, but I intend to make the most of this incredible opportunity while helping the team gather valuable data for the rest of the event.”
Beganovic will become the fifth member from the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy to participate in an official Formula 1 practice session, the other four being Charles and Arthur Leclerc, Robert Shwartzman and Oliver Bearman.
Beganovic has formed part of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy since the advent of his single-seater career in 2020.
The Bahrain Grand Prix will mark a busy schedule for Beganovic, who is also set to compete in the second round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship on the same weekend.
