Beganovic Dominates Baku Sprint to Secure Consecutive Wins
Beganovic Dominates Baku Sprint to Secure Consecutive Wins
Dino Beganovic continued his impressive momentum in the FIA Formula 2 championship, securing his second consecutive victory at the Baku Sprint Race. Driving for DAMS Lucas Oil, the Swede delivered a commanding performance to claim his second Baku Sprint win and mark his second straight victory of the 2026 season.
A High-Stakes Start in Azerbaijan
The race began with immediate drama. Polesitter Nikola Tsolov successfully covered off Laurens van Hoepen into Turn 1, but Beganovic showed his class by rounding the TRIDENT driver to take second position at the opening corner. The intensity escalated quickly when Rafael Câmara suffered a lock-up at Turn 2, sliding into Mari Boya and ending the Spaniard's race.
Alexander Dunne proved to be one of the standout performers of the session, executing an opportunistic dive past Kush Maini and Noel León at Turn 3 to climb to seventh. Following a Safety Car deployment to recover a PREMA Racing car, the race restarted on Lap 4.
Dunne, driving for Rodin Motorsport, maintained his aggressive charge, passing Sebastián Montoya to build significant momentum. This upward trajectory in the standings follows his recent strong showings, much like when Alexander Dunne topped Silverstone Free Practice for Rodin earlier this season.
Beganovic Takes Control
The battle for the lead reached its climax on Lap 6 when Beganovic utilized the slipstream to overtake Tsolov entering the first corner. Once in the lead, the DAMS Lucas Oil driver proved untouchable. While Tsolov struggled with rear tyre degradation—reporting his rears were 'gone' over team radio—Beganovic maintained a flawless rhythm.
A second Safety Car was deployed on Lap 18 after Joshua Duerksen hit the barriers at Turn 1, neutralizing the field for a final sprint. Upon the restart, Beganovic successfully defended his lead, while his teammate Roman Bilinski showcased impressive aggression by moving up to sixth.
Podium and Championship Implications
The final classification saw Laurens van Hoepen take P2, with Alexander Dunne completing the podium in third after a stellar recovery drive.
“Victory in the Sprint here in Baku. It's very good to get back-to-back wins even if it's a Sprint Race. Good race overall, had a good start, got past Nikola and I think our pace was very strong,” Beganovic commented following his triumph.
Championship Standings:
- Nikola Tsolov leads with 181 points.
- Rafael Câmara sits second with 170 points.
- Gabriele Minì remains third with 153 points.
- Alexander Dunne climbs to 146 points.
All eyes now turn to the Feature Race in Baku, where Alexander Dunne looks to lead a Rodin Motorsport front row.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.