DAMS Lucas Oil’s Dino Beganovic claimed his second podium of the season at the 2026 F2 Monaco GP, finishing third behind Alex Dunne and race winner Nikola Tsolov. After qualifying P3 in Group A on Friday, who ultimately secured pole position for Sunday’s Feature Race, Beganovic admitted he was left with some regrets, feeling he had more pace to show. Nevertheless, after securing a double points finish, the Swede can take plenty of positives from the weekend following a run of misfortune.
Speaking in the post-Feature Race press conference, the 22 year-old spoke to Pit Debrief and other media outlets, reflecting on a podium finish he believes was thoroughly deserved.
“Yes, I think it was a good race. We focused on bringing the temperature on the soft tyre, trying to get a good start. It paid off.”, Beganovic said.
“Going off in P4 and then just managing and staying with the group ahead. I think we did a good job. When it was time to push, we were able to do that.”
“I think we did a good job in that sense, but we got a bit caught off guard with the slower cars coming out of the pit. Then I had to defend quite a lot with the cold tyres. Obviously, the last lap was on the limit, but I’m very happy to be here in P3. I really think we deserve it.”
Beganovic on his last-lap lunge for the podium
Recalling his last-lap move on ART Grand Prix’s Kush Maini, the Ferrari-backed driver explained that his intentions were clear when executing the overtake. Maini, who had just emerged from the pit lane on cold tyres, refused to back down from the fight as both drivers ran across the Nouvelle chicane. However, Beganovic believed he had made the right decision.
He said: “For me, it’s very clear. I was going for the move on the outside, I obviously had the tyres in compared to him, I was clearly in front at the braking and at the apex. Obviously, he can’t bank the corner with the colder tyres. We both went off.”
“I’m very sure I could have made a corner because I had the tyres in. Just in case, I tried to let him pass in the exit, but he wasn’t really willing to do that. I kept my place and pushed to the line, but I’m very confident. I did the right thing there.”
Momentum heading into Barcelona
Heading to Barcelona next weekend, Beganovic acknowledged that their current momentum is strong, especially as the championship enters a busy phase with races taking place almost back-to-back. However, aside from the misfortune of his two Feature Race DNFs, he believes they have been competitive from the outset.
“I think, like you say, we have the momentum. We have had the momentum basically since Australia. Without the DNFs from technical issues, it would have been a different story by now.”
“Fighting at the front in the future is always a good sign. I always feel like we have had the momentum, so we’re just going to keep going at it.”
Being a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, when asked about the goals the team has set for him, he shared that they have been pleased with his results so far, but noted that there is still a long way to go in the championship.
Beganovic said: “During a second year, obviously, you want to be at the front and fight. So far, it’s been pretty good. Obviously, they take everything in account and what’s in your control, so they’ve been pretty happy so far.”
“You’ve just got to keep going, and it’s a long way to the championship ends, so always got to stay on top.”
“I feel very good to be back” – Beganovic on early competitiveness with DAMS
While luck has not always gone their way so far, Beganovic believes that it is clear that they have been consistent, which serves as a strong indicator of their competitiveness.
Having joined the team after a rookie season with Hitech, the Swede explained that he is pleased to be back with the team he made his debut with in 2024 and is motivated to keep working harder as the championship continues to unfold.
“I think so far, obviously, we’ve been consistent. But we haven’t really finished the races on Sunday in Australia and Canada for technical issues, so your statistics are not correct completely.”
“But I think we’re doing things right on the performance side. We’re always at the top, so we can be happy on that side and keep building from there. I feel very good to be back with DAMS where I did my debut in F2. So, yeah, we’re just going to keep our heads down and keep working.”, Beganovic said.
