Dino Beganovic delivered his first Formula 2 victory on the streets of Baku, leading home teammate Luke Browning in a commanding Hitech TGR 1-2. Alexander Dunne took third for Rodin Motorsport after a bruising Sprint that carried all the hallmarks of Azerbaijan.
Beganovic kept it clean where others faltered, taking control at the start and never looking back. Behind him, collisions, lock-ups and late rain fed the chaos that Baku is known for, with Browning and Dunne completing the podium as the title fight tightened once again.
A launch, a spin, and instant chaos
The tone was set straight away. Polesitter Rafael Villagómez tangled with Josep María Martí into Turn 1, leaving the Mexican facing the wrong way and Martí parked in the pits. Oliver Goethe brushed the wall at Turn 2 and spun, bringing out the first Safety Car before a lap had been banked.
Beganovic, starting second, nailed his launch and controlled the restart at the end of Lap 4. Montoya slotted into second, but the Swede was already checking out up front.
Stenshorne shines, then stops
Martinius Stenshorne lit things up on his Sprint debut, diving past Montoya into Turn 3 to grab second. It looked like a podium in the making. A few laps later, it was over. The Trident ground to a halt, triggering another Safety Car just as light rain started to spot the asphalt.
That neutralisation bunched the pack, but Beganovic again timed the restart perfectly and pulled away.
Midfield scraps and locked brakes
Behind the leader, the midfield was pure Baku theatre. Fornaroli and Crawford went wheel-to-wheel for position, the DAMS driver edging ahead into Turn 1. Dunne muscled his way past Browning briefly, only to lock up and hand the place back. Minì made ground, then lost it. Verschoor carved through from 11th on the grid to pinch sixth in a drag race to the flag.
Crawford pressed hard and fell just three tenths short of Dunne’s podium spot. Fornaroli survived a brush with the wall in a bold move on Minì, clinging on to fifth.
The runaway Swede
None of that noise reached Beganovic. He was in another race. Calm at both restarts, measured on pace, and fast enough to seal the bonus point for fastest lap with a 1:56.561 on Lap 15. He crossed the line six seconds clear of Browning. Dunne rounded out the podium after Montoya’s late retirement.
Dino Beganovic, Hitech TGR
“I feel very good after that! It was a bit of redemption after yesterday. We had a lot more pace than what we showed, and I think today we showed it very well, pulling away at the first restart and the second as well. We showed our pace with the fastest lap too. I’m super happy, everything was under control, and the team delivered a very good car. Super happy with the 1-2 as well with Luke there.”
Sprint Race Result (Top 8)
- Dino Beganovic – Hitech TGR
- Luke Browning – Hitech TGR
- Alexander Dunne – Rodin Motorsport
- Jak Crawford – DAMS Lucas Oil
- Leonardo Fornaroli – Invicta Racing
- Richard Verschoor – MP Motorsport
- Gabriele Minì – PREMA Racing
- Victor Martins – ART Grand Prix
Fastest lap: Dino Beganovic, 1:56.561 (Lap 15)
Championship picture
- Fornaroli stays top on 178 points.
- Browning closes the gap in second with 161.
- Verschoor holds third on 147.
- Crawford’s consistency lifts him to 142.
- Dunne completes the top five with 130.
Teams’ battle: Invicta Racing still lead on 259, but Hitech TGR slash the gap down to 17 with 242. Campos hold third on 213.
Up next
The Feature Race rolls off at 11:00 local on Sunday. Crawford will start from pole, Fornaroli alongside him. More slipstream, more walls, more risk. Baku rarely disappoints.
Key Points
- Beganovic claims first F2 win, leading a Hitech 1-2.
- Villagómez, Martí, Goethe, Stenshorne and Montoya all hit trouble.
- Crawford vs Fornaroli duel spices up the title fight.
- Standings tighten: Fornaroli 178, Browning 161, Verschoor 147.
For more on how the grid was set in Baku, catch up with my Qualifying report.
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