Dino Beganovic’s Feature Race podium in Baku secured him his second podium of the Formula 2 season. The Swedish driver finished third after winning Saturday’s Sprint Race. With only Qatar and Abu Dhabi remaining, Beganovic’s weekend marked a crucial turnaround in his challenging 2025 campaign.
Stategic execution delivers results
Beganovic’s successful Feature Race in Baku was built on a careful race strategy from the start. As stated by Beganovic during a post-race press conference attended by Pit Debrief, the approach was clear from the beginning.
“Well, looking back at the race, I think before the race, it was already quite obvious that we need to manage a bit and stay out of trouble, especially in the beginning and mid part of the race, and then kind of our race started from mid part to the end. So I think that was well executed,” Beganovic explained.
The driver emphasized how the team’s strategy unfolded perfectly. “Obviously, everybody was on the option tyre in the beginning and the pit stop was quite straightforward. But like I said, it was about staying out of trouble in the beginning and most part of the race and then make sure when you have the tyre in to be able to attack and that is what we did.”
“So again, very, very happy with this race and very happy with the weekend overall. It’s a great response from the whole season that has been very tough for me this year, and to come back like this after having found out some stuff in Monza, it’s a great statement,” he reflected.
Setup changes bring mixed results
Despite achieving his Feature Race podium target, Beganovic admitted the weekend wasn’t entirely smooth. Setup adjustments between Saturday and Sunday did not deliver the expected improvements.
When asked if he believed P3 was the best result he could have hoped for in the Feature Race, Beganovic responded, “Well, that was the target since yesterday, but I think we did some adjustments from yesterday to today, which maybe was not fitting as well as we wanted, especially with the wet coming overnight and obviously very tricky track conditions this morning.”
“So, it wasn’t as straightforward as yesterday and the pace wasn’t as good, but we were still in the fight. I mean, we are still P3 and obviously very happy with the race. But yeah, I think maybe we went in the wrong direction, but still, it’s a very positive result,” stated the Swedish driver.
Looking ahead to the season finale
Following Beganovic’s Feature Race podium success, his thoughts turned to the Championship’s conclusion. The Swedish driver radiated positivity when discussing the remaining rounds when asked if he was looking forward to them.
“Yeah, I do. I’m looking forward for the break now, going back to the virtual world and going back to the simulator. But at the same time, yeah, looking forward to Qatar, where I did my F2 debut. I have great memories from there and Abu Dhabi as well. So it’s going to be great to come back there and race there again.”
Before concluding his thoughts on the weekend, Beganovic made sure to acknowledge his fellow podium finishers and their impressive drives.
“And of course, I forgot to say credit to Jak for the win and obviously Joshua for the drive. I mean, from P15, it’s pretty impressive to finish P2.”
Confidence boost after Monza
The Formula 2 Baku Round provided crucial momentum for Beganovic ahead of Qatar and Abu Dhabi. His confidence has grown significantly following the breakthrough changes implemented at Monza.
“Yeah, definitely. Like I said, we did some changes for Monza, especially for Sunday, and it’s been a good step forward. It obviously gives a lot more confidence,” Beganovic stated.
He acknowledged the pressure that came with improved performance. “Coming here, it gave me good confidence but at the same time, it also put some pressure to you know make sure that we deliver a good result, which in the end of the day and in the end of the weekend, we did,” he continued.
“So I’m very pleased with that and let’s say the confidence has boosted up a bit going into the last two rounds, which obviously I’m very happy about.”
Building on a challenging campaign
Across the 2025 F2 season Beganovic has struggled, with relief and improvement only appearing in Monza. After making necessary changes in the round prior to Baku, his performance has increased. This is not only a confidence booster, but motivation to continue working hard.
“My best weekend this season and it means that the changes we have done in Monza was in the right direction, and again, it proves that this weekend. So I’m very happy with that.”
“Like I said before, it’s been a difficult season so far, but I’m just looking to take it race by race. It’s four races left of the year, two weekends, and I’m just trying to extract the maximum with the team. This two-month break, we’re just going to keep working like we have done so far and be confident going into Qatar and Abu Dhabi, where I have some experience from last year,” Beganovic stated.
Finding time to enjoy the moment
The satisfaction from the weekend was evident when he reflected on the pure enjoyment of driving. In response to a question from Pit Debrief about whether today’s race reminded the drivers why they began racing, Beganovic shared his thoughts.
“A lot of things going on in the head, at least for me, because I had a gap in front, a gap behind, and a lot of time to think. But no, I mean, it was a fun race. The pit stop part didn’t really change anyone’s race. So it was, well, it depends if you double stack, but anyway, it was a good race. I think we executed everything well and I don’t really see what we could have done differently. So I’m very pleased with this.”
The Baku street circuit provided particular satisfaction. “And it does remind you a bit because, at least for me, I had time to think again when I was driving and I was really enjoying driving around the streets here in Baku and making sure that I was extracting the maximum out of it. So yeah, I’m just very happy with the race today.”
Experience meets momentum
Beganovic’s success this past weekend builds upon valuable experience from last year’s season finale. Taking an early to Formula 2, he scored points in three of four races across both Qatar and Abu Dhabi weekends during his debut appearances.
However, the driver emphasizes that recent progress matters more than past success. “It’s mainly this weekend that is giving me a boost for what’s coming up next. So, I mean, obviously, the experience of the track in Qatar and Abu Dhabi last year is helpful. But in the end, I’m just looking forward to try to build this on and, again, what we improved in Monza to, again, keep this momentum going into the last two rounds and keep working the same way.”
Crucial momentum for the season’s end
Beganovic’s strong results in Baku arrived at a pivotal moment in the F2 championship. With just four races remaining across Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the Swedish driver has transformed what appeared to be a lost season into one with genuine potential for success.
