Formula 1 is the top of a pyramid that, over the years, has been producing an ever-growing number of young talents. In recent seasons, we have seen clear proof of that with the arrival in the world championship Circus of names such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and, this very year, Arvid Lindblad. Starting from the bottom, after karting comes Formula 4, followed by Formula Regional, F3 and finally Formula 2.
Today we want to introduce you more closely to one of the standard-bearers of the Ferrari Driver Academy in Maranello: Swedish driver Dino Beganovic.
In an exclusive interview, Dino spoke to us in great depth about his experience with the Prancing Horse, focusing above all on a very important moment in his career: his debut at the wheel of the Red car in an official free practice session. Before getting to that FP1 outing in Bahrain, however, we wanted to ask him what it meant for him to be part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and how it had helped him in his motorsport career. With great honesty, the Swede replied: “They have helped me a lot to become a more complete driver than I was before joining. It has been, and still is, a great journey, with the support from outside helping me a lot, first of all as a person, but also as a driver.”
Dino then added: “This is the seventh season together and it is really nice to be part of this organisation and this iconic team.”
As mentioned, it was precisely at Sakhir that the young Swede had the opportunity, and the honour, to take a Prancing Horse Formula 1 car out on track in an official session during a Formula 1 weekend. These opportunities do not come around often, and being ready is essential also in order to show one’s talent. Looking back on those moments, the Formula 2 driver said: “Obviously it was very special for me. It happened in Bahrain last year and I was very nervous before then. Especially from the moment I received the call.”
“As far as I am concerned, though, from the moment I started preparing for FP1 that day I was simply focused on everything I had to do. I almost had some blackout moments during that session because, you know, you are so focused on what you have to do that you almost forget what you are actually doing. In the end it went very well and I was very happy about it. It is very special to take part in an F1 session, but doing it with Ferrari is even more special.” This sentence shows how much representing the team from Maranello is an honour, but also a responsibility. When you receive the “call”, however, you cannot turn it down, a bit like what happened to Oliver Bearman during the Jeddah weekend, when he was called up to replace Carlos Sainz after the Spaniard was forced to withdraw due to appendicitis.
On the one hand, getting behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car is Dino’s dream, as it is for all young drivers aiming to make the big step. On the other hand, doing so during a Formula 2 weekend is never ideal. Unlike in F1, where qualifying usually takes place on Saturday, things are different in the feeder category. The weekend, in fact, features only one free practice session before heading straight into qualifying on Friday, followed by one race on Saturday and another on Sunday.
Taking part in Formula 1 FP1 therefore means first completing F2 free practice, then jumping into the Ferrari single-seater, before returning once again to F2 and immediately needing to be competitive for the most important session of the weekend.
Speaking about this, Dino highlighted the difficulty of the process, especially regarding braking points, which are completely different between the two categories because, as many drivers also say, in F2 you drive at the limit of the car, while in F1 the limit you reach is not that of the single-seater, but of the driver.
“It is not easy, especially because all the references you have in Formula 2 regarding braking points, and also where to get on the throttle, are different when you drive a Formula 1 car, and then they change again when you get back behind the wheel of an F2 car for your qualifying session. It was not easy, but I think I did a good job, also thanks to my team, which had prepared some documents immediately after FP1 so that I could get back into the F2 car without too many difficulties, because I had all the references I needed in those documents, such as photos of the braking points.”
“Honestly, I have to say it was not easy, but you know, after doing it the first time in Bahrain, the next time in Spielberg, in Austria, it was much easier for me.”
When we then asked him whether on that occasion, or more generally when he is in Maranello, he had the chance to speak with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, also asking them for advice, the Swede replied: “Obviously we spoke before and after the free practice session, but they did not exactly have any tricks to share with me. More than anything, we talked about the car, about the approach to have during FP1, but it was not about secrets, although at the same time it was very nice to speak with them before getting into the car.”
Continuing to talk about motorsport and Formula 2, we asked him to define, in his opinion, his driving style every time he takes to the track: “My driving style has always been quite smooth and fluid, both in terms of steering movements and pedals. Since I was in F4 I have been very strong under braking, and I tend to push more on corner entry, while always keeping a smooth approach.”
“This is quite advantageous especially on qualifying laps, but at the same time being gentle is useful for tyre management. This is the way I drive and normally I prefer a car that is stable on entry, allowing me to always push to the maximum.”
To conclude this long part of our conversation with Dino Beganovic, we wanted to return to where we had started: the FDA. This time, however, we focused on the relationship the Swede has with his Academy teammates. Although on track they are always rivals, once the helmet comes off they go back to being friends: “My relationship with the others in the FDA is good, it has always been good throughout the years. I grew up in the FDA. When I arrived at the time there was Marcus Armstrong, and for me he was like an older brother. Ollie was also in the Academy for a long time and we spent a lot of time together. In general, it has always been a nice way to switch off from the track. Almost all of us lived around Maranello, so we were always together.”
“Even now with Rafa, Tuukka, Alba and Nico it is very nice. We did a training camp together a few weeks ago and had a lot of fun. At the moment I am the oldest among the Academy drivers, me who was very small when I joined, the youngest of all. Yes, time goes by, but it is still a lot of fun.”
We would like to thank Dino Beganovic, the FDA and Scuderia Ferrari HP for their kindness and availability during the interview. Partial reproduction of this exclusive content is permitted provided that the author (Giuseppe Cianci) and the source Formula1.it are credited with a link to the original content.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP
