Beganovic claims F2 Sprint victory and a Feature Podium in Baku
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was an unforgettable weekend for Dino Beganovic, who clinched his maiden Formula 2 victory in the Sprint Race on Saturday. In his first-ever visit to the challenging street circuit, Dino displayed remarkable poise to take the win, with teammate Luke Browning completing a dominant 1-2 for Hitech TGR. This marked the team’s first 1-2 finish in five years.
Dino’s success continued on Sunday in the Feature Race, when he secured a podium finish in P3. This strong showing capped a momentous weekend for the Ferrari Driver Academy member, amounting to a 26-point haul and elevating him to eighth in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The Swedish-Bosnian driver’s maiden victory was a masterclass in cool composure on a demanding street circuit that brought its fair share of drama. From P2 on the grid, Dino took the lead and maintained it under pressure – even as two Safety Car periods bunched the field up behind him.
Dino Beganovic on his Sprint Race victory:
“Winning here on my first time racing in Baku is something very special. The team worked perfectly and the car felt great. I feel very proud to make history with this maiden victory for Sweden in (modern-era) F2.”
“I think we knew that we had good pace from Practice, and Saturday was all about executing it well. I think it was very much under control at all times after Lap 1. Then we just settled into our pace, tried to manage the tyres a bit and be ready for a Safety Car.”
Luke Browning on his Sprint Race podium, his ninth of the season:
“First of all, I just have to say that Dino did a fantastic job. It was great to see the level of control from him. I think he has had a lot of bad luck this year. My race was interesting to say the least. Just staying out of trouble and using the pace in the middle of the race when I needed to.”
Luke continued:
“When I passed Montoya, I started to build a gap. The pace was there for both of us, and the 1-2 finish is a massive boost for the team and the championship.”
Sunday’s Feature Race saw both drivers start on the Supersoft tyres. Luke struggled away from the line, dropping three places on the opening lap, while Dino held his grid position. By lap 3, Dino overtook Luke who was continuing to struggle, losing another position to Durksen on lap 4.
Lap 5 brought a Safety Car, neutralising the race. Dino and Luke pitted for Soft tyres, and when the Williams Academy Driver returned to the track, he had contact with Stanek, which caused front wing damage and forced a second pit stop, effectively ending his chances of a strong finish. He returned to the track a lap down and ultimately finished 20th.
Meanwhile, Dino was steadily moving up the order. His big moves came on laps 20 and 21 when he passed Marti for 5th and Mini for 4th.
In the closing stages, Dino showed excellent pace, even faster than the leaders, trying to reel in Fornaroli, who was carrying a 10-second penalty. When that was applied at the chequered flag, Dino was promoted to P3.
Dino on his Feature Race podium:
“Very happy with this race. It’s about staying out of trouble, then making sure you have the tyre to be able to attack – and that is what we did. This season has been very tough for me, so to come back like this after the step forward in Monza, it’s a great statement.”
The Drivers’ Championship after Baku now sees Luke drop to third on 161 points, with a 27-point gap to close to the leader. Dino has moved up to P8 on 96 points, bridging the gap to the drivers ahead.
In the Teams’ Championship, Hitech remains in second place but has closed to within 12 points of the leaders. With two rounds and four races remaining, the championship battle is intensifying for both drivers and the team.
The action will continue at Lusail, Qatar, at the end of November for the penultimate round of the season.