Beganovic: PREMA on the front foot after 2023 experience and topping Jerez test

6 October 2023

Dino Beganovic was the fastest driver across the two days of post-season testing in Jerez. The PREMA Racing driver set a 1:29.900 to top the morning session on Day 2 when the track was at its busiest and times at their quickest.

The Swede was very satisfied with his efforts across both days of the test and feeling much more up to speed than he was this time last year. Beganovic got his first test with the PREMA F3 team around Jerez in 2022 after Monza, but this time was much different having built up plenty of experience with the Teams’ Champions throughout 2023.

“We completed all the programme we wanted which was on the checklist that we had for this post-season test, so it felt good with the car,” Beganovic explained. “It's always nice to have the feeling, having the confidence with the team and with people you already know.

“It was an easy time to get going let's say but, overall, I’m very happy with the test. We did what we wanted and also showed great speed and we were where we should be basically.”

Focusing on his session-topping time from the morning of Day 2, Beganovic says that it was a strong result given the circumstances. With the majority of the field running fresh hard Pirelli compound tyres at the same time, he was able to achieve the quickest effort during Qualifying simulations.

With Gabriele Minì just 0.033s off his effort in the #3 PREMA, Beganovic says it was a hugely competitive showing from the team, but focus would remain on maximising the remaining test days at Barcelona and Imola.

“It's nice because everybody was simulating Qualifying this morning, and we knew before coming here that on the second day in the morning, that will be the time to put a lap in if we want to, and we did it. So it’s nice to have the fastest time on paper, but it's testing and everybody's testing different stuff. We can only focus on ourselves, but it's a good start.”

Beganovic finished the campaign sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, the third highest rookie in the Standings. Having already tested with PREMA at Jerez and having raced with the team all year, he says he was able to hit the ground running much more easily than his first outing in an F3 car 12 months ago.

“Lots has changed since then. It was an easier start and to get going compared to then. It's nice to continue with the team, having the experience in the car from one year is a good help but, you've seen many rookies be fast in the first test as well like myself and Gabriele Minì were last year, and this year, but it's nice to have the experience and it will pay off later.”

With two post-season tests remaining, focus now switches to Barcelona for the second of the three events. While Jerez doesn’t feature on the racing calendar, the strong one-lap performance from PREMA is a positive sign regardless.

“We do different stuff on every track. For example, here we are maybe more focused on performance runs instead of race sims as we are not racing here, and it will be a different run plan for Barcelona and Imola. So in some ways, those two could be a bit more important.”

Post-season testing continues on October 10-11 from Barcelona, Spain for the second of three two-day events.