Beganovic thinking bigger picture and Championship fight ahead of Montreal

Dino Beganovic arrives in Montreal fresh from securing a hard-earned podium in Miami that has kept him within touching distance of early season Championship leader Nikola Tsolov.

The DAMS Lucas Oil driver is targeting another rostrum visit this weekend around another brand-new venue, this time in the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Beganovic arrived in a good mood, with hockey and a new city to take in ahead of focusing on scoring more valuable points on track.

“It's been nice to be here in Montreal. Obviously it's nice to go around the city and as I am a big ice hockey fan, it's also nice to be here as they've made it to this play-off in the semi-final now, so it's very cool.

“They're playing the first game tonight, so I'm going to be cheering them on and I'm going to wear a jersey as well.

“Other than that, it's great to be here. I've driven the track many, many times on the simulator and in the F1 games many times before. So it's great to be here.

“It's nice to come to a track again that is new, a bit like Miami, that everything is kind of reset for everybody. And I really enjoyed that challenge because you can kind of step up and show what you're capable of. So I'm really looking forward to it.”

Analysing the lap, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy talent says that the layout is an enjoyable one for the drivers, but there are plenty of places where mistakes will be punished.

A semi-permanent circuit, the Montreal track features four DRS zones and plenty of heavy braking zones, but it’s the final corner and the ‘Wall of Champions’ that Beganovic believes is the crucial area.

Winning time in qualifying at the final chicane could prove the difference maker according to the Swede, but the outside wall is always looming.

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“I like it,” he said of the track. “Basically, every corner is a chicane apart from one. So it's very cool that it's like that. It gives a direction for what you need from a car to be fast here and it's always the change of direction. Ride as well, being able to take the curbs, I think it will be quite important.

“It's something that you need to try out in FP, trying different lines, trying different ways to take the curbs. That will be one of my focus points for the first time on track tomorrow.

“The toughest part of the track must be the last corner. It's known as the Wall of Champions. When you're on a quali lap, good or bad, the last turn is where you can lose or gain everything. It's a very important part of the circuit, and there’s a lot of pressure and a very long straight to think about many things going into there.

“You just need to lock in and stay focused before that turn, take it home and maximise everything.”

Beganovic is currently seventh in the Drivers’ Championship but fighting back from an unfortunate DNF in Melbourne having been well-placed for a good result after scoring pole position.

Ahead of this weekend and Round 3, the DAMS driver says that even though it’s early in the season, his focus is on setting himself up for a title tilt in 2026.

“Hopefully we get a good result on Sunday like Miami, but a stronger qualifying is something we will focus on. Trying to maximise that, being in the front, looking at the big picture and the championship, you need to stay in the front and always be there in both races.

“The focus is to have a good qualifying and take the weekend from there because we know we have normally a pretty good race car and can move forward in the race.

“A result like Miami helps a lot because obviously it's a bit more what we deserve after Melbourne. To get that result in Miami is definitely something we deserve. Looking at the standings now, there’s a bit of thinking of what could have been, but we're just going to take it race by race and focus on our job.

“I think we will be rewarded for what we're doing like we did in Miami. We know we have the pace, the teamwork is great. I'm just looking forward to keep working with these guys.”