Dino Beganovic has experienced a season of both promise and frustration during his 2026 Formula 2 (F2) campaign with DAMS Lucas Oil.
The Swede has repeatedly shown front-running pace, including pole position at the opening round in Melbourne and podium finishes in Miami and Monaco. However, mechanical issues and difficult weekends have prevented him from consistently converting that speed into points. He later returned to the podium in the Sprint Races at Spa-Francorchamps and Budapest before the summer break.
Alongside his F2 commitments, Beganovic has continued his work with Ferrari, taking part in Formula 1 practice sessions during the 2026 season and learning from Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Those opportunities have provided valuable experience as the Ferrari Driver Academy member looks to strengthen the second half of his F2 season.
Beganovic reflects on a promising but difficult start to the 2026 F2 seaosn
Beganovic opened the campaign by demonstrating his potential immediately in Australia. Although his Melbourne weekend ended without the result his pace suggested was possible, furthermore strong performances kept him among the leading contenders during the early rounds.
“Things started very well this year. Taking pole in Melbourne but then it was not the result we deserved with the DNF. Then we had a good podium in Miami, coming back into the fight.”
His misfortune continued in Montreal, where another issue denied him the opportunity to capitalise on a strong position. A difficult Austrian weekend then represented a contrasting low point after his encouraging start to the campaign.
“In Montreal we were in a very strong position in the Feature in P2 before another issue. So we started the year very well and also the podium in Monaco helped. But without those DNFs we would be looking in a much better spot. Austria also wasn’t ideal. We lacked quite a bit of pace in general and it was just a very tough weekend for us, definitely the worst one so far.”
Missed opportunities leave Beganovic frustrated
The points lost through those retirements have proved particularly costly as the championship has progressed. Beganovic entered the summer break seventh in the Drivers’ Standings on 79 points, 88 behind championship leader Nikola Tsolov.
Despite the disappointment, Beganovic took encouragement from the performance DAMS showed during those weekends. Knowing he had the pace to fight near the front allowed him to remain calm even when circumstances prevented him from scoring heavily.
“It is frustrating. But also at that moment it was quite nice to see the potential we have had. So I was not stressed in Melbourne or Montreal that we didn’t really get the points, which maybe sounds weird, I was calm knowing the performance was there. I know that we can do it in the races and we can have a good weekend when we have a good car and are in a perfect spot, like we had in Melbourne with pole.”
However, Beganovic knows that showing potential alone will not be enough. Maximising each opportunity remains one of his biggest priorities as he considers how significant those early missed points could become later in the campaign.
“We just need to maximise everything, maximise those points and that’s maybe what is the most frustrating, that we couldn’t do it. It’s possible we could be looking back at the end of the year at those races and seeing what could have been different.”
Experience helping Beganovic become a more complete driver
Beganovic believes his performances towards the end of 2025 laid an important foundation for his second Formula 2 campaign. During the final seven rounds of last season, he scored points in 11 of 14 races, including a Sprint Race victory in Baku. He has tried to carry that level into 2026 while using the experience gained throughout his junior single-seater career to make better decisions on track.
“The end of last year was pretty good and I’m driving quite similar to that level. I’m trying to bring my experience from last year and also from my two years in Formula 3, trying to be smart in all the battles and to come back well in the races. But then this year has been a bit more about qualifying and we haven’t really got that right. However from a personal point of view I improve every year, and I am a more complete driver now.”
His development does not only concern outright speed. Beganovic feels better equipped to understand how to approach an entire race weekend and work effectively alongside DAMS.
“I’m smarter on track and in battles and know how to manage a race weekend from my side and also from my team’s side.”
Learning alongside Hamilton and Leclerc at Ferrari
Away from F2, Beganovic has continued to gain Formula 1 experience in 2026 through his role with Ferrari. His work has given him the opportunity not only to drive the team’s machinery but also to study two of the sport’s most accomplished drivers at close quarters.
During the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Barcelona, Beganovic drove Hamilton’s car in FP1 for the first time, having previously completed two practice outings in Leclerc’s car during 2025.
“It’s not a driver line-up to joke around about. It’s obviously Lewis [Hamilton] and Charles [Leclerc], who are very highly rated in Formula 1 and in racing in general. So it’s great to be up against them, to be next to them and to learn from them, and also to compare yourself to them in the data. But it’s crazy. My first FP1 this year in Barcelona I took Lewis’ car. It was the first time I was driving his car because I had two FP1s last year that were both in Charles’ car.”
Hamilton’s attitude made a particular impression on the 22-year-old. Despite everything the seven-time World Champion has already achieved, Beganovic noticed the level of motivation he continues to bring to Ferrari.
“Lewis was super nice to me and he opened my eyes a lot as well. He’s pushing the team a lot and he’s so motivated. It’s very inspiring because he’s done so much in his life and career but he’s still wanting to win probably as much as he ever wanted too before.”
Beganovic aims to bring Ferrari lessons back to DAMS
Beganovic has also watched how Leclerc approaches his pursuit of success with Ferrari. He wants to apply lessons from both drivers to his own position within DAMS as he continues developing into a team leader.
Rather than viewing his Ferrari programme and Formula 2 campaign separately, Beganovic has used his Formula 1 experience to improve his approach in the junior category.
“It’s very inspiring to see that and also Charles as well is pushing to get that world championship with Ferrari. It’s very cool and that is the stuff I am taking with me too. For example, I am trying to lead DAMS in F2 so I am like a sponge. I also got some advice about the new car because there are a lot of new things to think about, especially driving-wise, so I’ve been learning a lot.”
Ferrari outings give Beganovic confidence for F2 comeback
Beganovic’s Formula 1 running has also offered an important confidence boost during a challenging 2026 F2 campaign. His performance in Austria proved particularly encouraging. Comparing himself with Hamilton gave Beganovic a reminder of his capabilities and reinforced his belief that he belongs in the position Ferrari has given him.
“Austria, for F1, was very good for me. I was very confident on the medium and close to Lewis, so it’s something I need to remember sometimes, that everything is possible and I’m there for a reason, and it’s always very nice to be able to compare. It was also at two tracks that have the closest qualifyings of the year because we’ve driven there so much and they’re quite short tracks, so everybody knows them. It’s always amazing to get in the red car and to show what I can do.”
Beganovic now wants to carry that confidence into the remaining Formula 2 rounds. While the championship gap has grown, he does not intend to make the standings his primary focus. Instead, he wants to extract everything possible from himself and the car each weekend.
“I am going to continue using this to try and come back stronger for the rest of the season. Obviously, the gap has increased to the championship leader, which is not the best. But we have to take it race by race and not really think about the championship. We need to maximise what me and the car can do in every weekend and in every situation.”
