Interview
‘We are fighting for the championship’ – Beganovic feeling upbeat after Miami podium
Dino Beganovic feels his podium in the Miami Feature Race is proof that he and DAMS Lucas Oil are fighting for the title in 2026.
The Swedish driver recovered from a difficult Qualifying that left him in P11 to fight to the points in both races, finishing eighth in the Sprint and second in the Feature.
Beganovic had been in the lead heading into the final two laps but lost out to Gabriele Minì at the end, and despite missing out on the win, he was feeling proud about his efforts.
“It was cool,” said Beganovic reflecting on the Feature Race. “I think Gabriele and I had a great fight. He did a good job being a spectator to it all, but I think it was great.
“Gabriele and I have been driving wheel-to-wheel for a very long time now and we know each other very well. So it was great and it was all under control, it was nice.
“The first two rounds have been like a receipt that all the work we put in is paying off. So I'm very happy with this and it shows that we are there fighting for the championship.”
Beganovic and DAMS’ Miami weekend came after a difficult Round 1, as while he took pole position, an issue in the Feature Race while fighting for the win saw him pull over to the side of the road.
After that, the 22-year-old returned home to Sweden to spend time with friends and family, launch his new documentary and train, while also working with DAMS to prepare for Miami and Montreal.
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“I spent a good amount of time with DAMS,” continued Beganovic. “The result didn't come for us in the Feature Race, but at the same time it was one round, we still had 13 to go.
“There are lots of opportunities, but it's important that we take the positives, the pole, all the good pace from the beginning of the weekend and just learn from what we could have done better. I'm confident that we can do so.”
Miami and Montreal are two new venues that the drivers have never visited before, and Beganovic has also been working with Ferrari to prepare himself for the trip to Canada.
The DAMS driver says he has been talking to both the drivers and the engineers within the Italian team to get an idea of what to expect at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
“With both the drivers and engineers I am trying to dig deep to find the characteristics of the track that are maybe unknown to us,” revealed Beganovic.
“There are characteristics that are unknown to all the teams and drivers, and I am trying to pull all my strings that I have to get some advantages.
“But obviously I have been spending quite a lot of days in the F1 sim, especially in Montreal. So this feels good because I actually spent time in the sim there and it doesn't really feel like the first time coming here, even if it is.”
After Montreal, the paddock returns to Europe where there will be six rounds in eight weeks, and Beganovic knows the importance of each one of those rounds.
“They are super big but also every race weekend is important, as important as any other,” he explained.
“So it's important to not throw away a weekend because you're not prepared or you're not in the right place. I think this break was also a moment to prepare yourself for when it's busy because then you will not have time to come back, sit back, have a think about things.
“So you prepare yourself for what ifs in the sense when you're in the busy period because it's going to be really, really busy this summer, especially after Montreal.
“It’s good to have had this break to reflect and prepare for it all, because like I said, every weekend is as important as any other.”