Because the reigning System Regional European champion, Ferrari Driver Academy prospect Dino Beganovic has numerous strain on his shoulders as he graduates this yr to System 3. The Swedish teen is using excessive after claiming his first title in automotive racing final October, and is likely one of the collection’ most enjoyable younger prospects heading into this season.
Beganovic, who claimed 4 wins and 4 pole positions in System Regional by Alpine final yr, has pushed for junior single-seater powerhouse Prema since 2020. He continues his journey into F3 with the Italian squad and has some illustrious names to emulate: from the present F1 grid, Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri have received F3 titles with the workforce over the previous decade; Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Piastri have claimed F2 crowns.
Whereas his win tally wasn’t sensational in FRegional in 2022, it was his run of ending the primary eight of the 20 races within the high two that was exceptional, particularly taking into account the grid measurement within the mid-thirties. Within the early weeks of this yr, he’s stored sharp by contesting the primary two FRegional Center East Championship rounds, claiming a win apiece in Dubai and Kuwait. So though the step to F3 is daunting for any younger driver, Beganovic says he feels good.
“After coming away with a extremely robust season in FRECA, successful the championship, I couldn’t really feel higher,” he declares previous to setting the second-fastest time in Bahrain testing.
“I really feel ready. We now have executed FRMEC to organize and get again to the racing surroundings, and it feels actually good. Our targets are set to what to anticipate and what to attempt to get out of the take a look at earlier than the primary race.”
Had he remained within the Center East, Beganovic would have had a really robust likelihood of the FRMEC title, and he welcomed being again in a racing surroundings. Higher, nevertheless, to organize for F3, particularly with the ultimate two FRMEC rounds sandwiching the three-day F3 take a look at in Bahrain. He reckons that the total marketing campaign would have been “approach an excessive amount of”.
Beganovic is gearing up for his first F3 marketing campaign at Prema, and reduce quick his System Regional Center East programme to concentrate on testing
Picture by: Prema Powerteam
Beganovic is cautious of placing an excessive amount of strain on himself, a lesson he discovered the onerous approach in 2021. He had a vastly profitable 2020, from a promising scouting camp leading to his adoption by Ferrari to his maiden single-seater marketing campaign in Italian F4, the place he completed third within the standings. He moved as much as FRECA the next yr, however completed down in thirteenth in his rookie season, whereas team-mate and Mercedes F1 protege Paul Aron was third.
“I had two actually good team-mates [Aron and David Vidales], they had been robust, they had been second season within the class,” he says. “So I believe I put possibly a bit too excessive expectations on myself to start with. In the long run, although, mid-season, I centered extra on myself to enhance after which all the pieces began to go higher as properly.
“I’d say that I simply put an excessive amount of strain on myself to start with, and I needed to be on the high an excessive amount of. I had some silly crashes right here and there once I may have taken factors or rookie wins. However yeah, I simply needed greater than that.”
“We are going to maintain pushing one another, so I believe we’re a assist and possibly a ache within the ass for each of us. Nevertheless it’s in a great way” Dino Beganovic on Paul Aron
Beganovic bounced again the next yr, imposing himself over runner-up Gabriele Mini (who had received the 2020 Italian F4 title) and Aron (third once more). He attributes this to his pre-season preparation being key to reversing his 2021 struggles, and beginning the season with a win put him in the absolute best place.
“I believe I confirmed myself what I can do, but in addition others,” he explains. “It possibly obtained within the head of others as properly, that I’m actually robust, that I’m a championship contender, and that I didn’t actually need to transfer from that place. As we noticed, consistency is super-important to win a championship.
“Final yr in F3 [where several drivers were in title contention until the final round], you’ll be able to take numerous issues out of it. In the long run, I believe no one can say that that they had a clear season, an excellent season, as a result of there was a lot left on the desk with possibly crashes or missed alternatives, particularly within the high six positions.
“However final yr in FRECA for those who lose a race, it’s actually tough to realize it again, and that was what made the distinction. No silly dangers. I didn’t have any DNFs both.”
Consistency was an enormous think about Beganovic’s 2022 FRECA title-winning marketing campaign as he completed inside the highest two in every of the primary eight races
Picture by: Ferrari
It’s with these classes behind him that Beganovic heads into his rookie F3 marketing campaign, with Aron as soon as once more his team-mate alongside returning F3 driver Zak O’Sullivan, who switches over from Carlin for his second marketing campaign within the collection. All three started their work collectively within the post-season take a look at at Jerez final September.
“From his [Aron’s] facet and my facet, we have now been pushing one another quite a bit,” factors out Beganovic. “We’re very aggressive, but in addition we have now been serving to the workforce, as a result of the workforce was not on high in 2021.
“In 2022, we received the drivers’ championship and the groups’ championship. That’s due to the work we put in over the winter break, and the automotive we developed in the course of the season in 2021. We are going to maintain pushing one another, so I believe we’re a assist and possibly a ache within the ass for each of us. Nevertheless it’s in a great way.”
The help of Ferrari has proved helpful to Beganovic, with fellow Academy members and 2022 F3 drivers Ollie Bearman and Arthur Leclerc available to supply additional recommendation as he enters his maiden marketing campaign. He lives in Maranello, and says the “alternative to go to the manufacturing unit daily, to coach in Ferrari and to have conferences with Ferrari engineers, it’s an enormous benefit, which I’m very glad about”.
Additional help comes within the type of Swedish touring automotive legend Rickard Rydell. The 1998 BTCC champion serves not solely as Beganovic’s supervisor, however as his mentor and coach, with the teen saying he’s “one of many keys behind my profession”. They joined forces on the finish of 2018, and it was Rydell who helped Beganovic progress from karting to single-seaters.
Born in southern Sweden to Bosnian immigrants, Beganovic now finds himself on the F1 help bundle, with thousands and thousands of eyes on him for the primary time – together with the “enormous help” he receives from followers in his residence nation.
“My expectations are to all the time be within the entrance preventing for the highest positions, to be aggressive,” he reckons. “Prema have executed an incredible job all of the years and the plan is to maintain on going with the objective to win the championship.”
Beganovic is evident that the F3 title is his purpose with the workforce that has carried Shwartzman, Piastri and Hauger to the highest spot
Picture by: Prema Powerteam
What the boss says
Prema boss Rene Rosin has overseen Dino Beganovic’s total profession in automotive racing, and he’s been impressed with what he’s seen. First off, in 2020, his third place in Italian System 4 got here as fellow rookie and Prema team-mate Gabriele Mini received the crown.
“He was preventing consistently for the win and podium within the remaining rounds,” remembers Rosin. “Actually, his development was fairly good. Then he moved with us in Regional. The primary yr, he did some good things originally, then I have to say possibly we weren’t on high of the sport ourselves. We had been struggling a bit, not likely as we wish it.
“And after that, he caught with us and we actually put our toes down attempting to grasp the place to enhance, methods to enhance for 2022. And final yr, he did an incredible job in Regional. So after that, it was logical to step up with us in System 3.”
“Monaco I believe it was a grasp lap and a grasp race. Total, he did an excellent season, very constant” Rene Rosin
Rosin praises Beganovic’s consistency and dedication, together with his six-race, 129-point cost initially of the season proving essential to the groups’ title.
“Monaco I believe it was a grasp lap and a grasp race,” he proclaims. “Total, he did an excellent season, very constant. Even after the DSQ [from second place] he obtained in Paul Ricard, different drivers would have been affected on their thoughts. As an alternative, he continued working, continued pushing in the best route, after which he secured the championship.”
Regardless of being coy about his expectations for Beganovic in 2023 and saying the workforce will “watch race-by-race, doing our job in one of the simplest ways as doable”, it’s clear Rosin has excessive hopes for the Swedish teen.
Beganovic’s efficiency in Monaco was a standout, in line with Rosin
Picture by: Ferrari