Roman Bilinski has made the jump to F2 in 2026, joining DAMS Lucas Oil after an impressive F3 campaign. While the Polish driver is naturally aiming for the title, he recognises that there is still plenty of hard work ahead to achieve that goal. A strong but challenging start to his rookie season in Melbourne saw Bilinski earn his maiden point with an eighth-place finish in the Sprint Race before finishing 12th in the Feature. Despite the challenges, Bilinski aims to improve as both a driver and a member of the DAMS team, and he has big ambitions for the season.
DAMS move for 2026 F2 season part of bigger career plan for Bilinski
Bilinski’s transition to F2 follows a standout year in F3, where he secured a race win and multiple podiums, including in Monte Carlo and Melbourne. However, despite being tempted to return for another year in F3, Bilinski knew that stepping up to F2 with DAMS in 2026 was the best opportunity for his long-term career.
“There’s always the thought of doing a second year,” Bilinski reflected. “I think the first year was very strong with Rodin in my rookie year, we had some fantastic results. When you take into consideration some things that were out of our control, I’d be a lot higher than where I finished in the championship. But having the opportunity then to race with DAMS in F2 was a no-brainer and for sure we had to take it 100%.”
The DAMS team has a strong track record in Formula 2, and Bilinski believes he can help continue that success in 2026. His goal is to improve on the team’s impressive performance from the previous season and make a tangible impact in his rookie year.
A solid start but focus remains on improvement
Bilinski’s opening weekend in Melbourne was a mixture of highs and lows. He finished eighth in the Sprint Race, earning his first points in F2, but a more challenging 12th-place finish in the Feature Race left him with areas to improve. Nevertheless, Bilinski’s positive mindset remains unshaken, with a clear focus on growth throughout the season.
“I feel incredible,” Bilinski said, sharing his enthusiasm about joining the DAMS team. “DAMS is an amazing team. They’ve always performed in Formula 2 and I hope to build on that success. They had an amazing year last year and I hope Dino Beganovic and I can push the team forward and I hope to improve on that again.”
Bilinski’s performance in Melbourne, though not perfect, showed he has the potential to be competitive. The 22-year-old knows there’s more work to do, but his optimism about the season is clear.
Bilinski notes that preparation is key for F2 success after promising start to 2026 with DAMS
Ahead of the 2026 campaign, Bilinski dedicated a significant amount of time to both physical and technical preparation. The transition to Formula 2 presents a new challenge, and he knows that his fitness, mental focus, and familiarity with the car will be critical to his success.
“It’s been intense, to be honest,” he explained. “You know, Formula 2 is now another step up and for the first time in my career, you can officially say the next step would be Formula 1, the dream.”
Bilinski’s preparation included extensive work with the DAMS team. This included looking over data and analysing where improvements could be made. This process is something he sees as crucial for both himself and the team as they build towards a successful season.
“So, everything’s very intense, everything’s pushed to the max. But, fitness-wise, mentally, with the team on the simulator, talking about data, everything has just been another level. We look at last year’s data, where other people on the team could have done better and then looking at the post-season tests and where I could have done better. Putting that all together to hopefully improve as a team and also as a driver.”
This careful attention to detail is all part of a strategy to hit the ground running in F2, especially with an eye on improving his Qualifying performance, which will be vital in securing strong results throughout the season.
Aiming for consistency in Qualifying
For Bilinski, one of the most important areas of focus is Qualifying. In Melbourne, he finished 12th in the session, just 0.064s away from a top-10 spot. As anyone in motorsport knows, being in the top 10 in Qualifying is critical for race strategy, especially in a competitive field like Formula 2.
“I think Qualifying is always super important, whatever championship you’re in,” Bilinski said. “A lot of that can come down to car, team, and driver. So it’s just best preparing for all of that.”
While Qualifying was a challenge in his F2 debut, Bilinski remains optimistic based on his past successes in Formula 3, where he had a strong showing in his first race at the Australian circuit, even securing a podium.
“But saying that also, last year I started strong. It was my first time in Australia, my first race in Formula 3 and I was on the podium. So I think I’ve got a good foundation in myself and also within the team and I just keep building on this, and then hopefully that can bring success.”
The experience gained in Melbourne will be a useful reference as Bilinski looks to improve his grid position in future races.
Bilinski setting goals while staying realistic for 2026 F2 campaign with DAMS
As a rookie in F2, Bilinski has set high goals for himself but understands the importance of gradual improvement. He is aiming for the championship, but his focus is on performing to the best of his ability and learning from each race weekend. Bilinski knows that success in F2 is about more than just speed; it’s about consistency and continuous growth.
“Yes, I have goals. Of course being a racing driver I want to win the championship, otherwise, this wouldn’t be the correct sport for me,” he said when asked about his ambitions. “But also, it’s going to be my rookie season. I’m just looking to do the best job that I can do. Keep learning every weekend and after every session, and we’ll see in December where we are in the championship.”
His commitment to learning and improving is a key aspect of his approach to the season. Bilinski knows that with time, support, and hard work, he can compete at the front of the grid and ultimately challenge for the championship.
