The Baku Sprint Race exploded into action with drama right from the start. Dino Beganovic, starting from P2 on the reverse grid, nailed his launch and swept past polesitter Rafael Villagómez into Turn 1. What followed was chaos — Villagómez made contact with Josep María Martí in the braking zone, spinning and ending his race immediately, while Martí’s car suffered damage and dropped out shortly after. The incident triggered an early Safety Car, giving Beganovic a chance to settle into a rhythm before controlling the restart with a measured approach.
Once racing resumed, Beganovic looked untouchable out front, steadily building a gap while staying out of trouble. Behind him, Luke Browning was the only driver capable of matching the leader’s pace, holding P2 and fending off attacks through the long straights and tight castle section. Alexander Dunne became the star of the midfield battle, climbing from seventh to third with a series of brave overtakes, including a bold move around the outside at Turn 3 that secured him the final podium place.
The midfield pack provided most of the spectacle as Baku’s tight walls punished any lapse in concentration. Leonardo Fornaroli had to fight hard to retain P5, eventually losing out on a late-lap duel but salvaging important championship points. Richard Verschoor impressed with a charge from P11 to P6, executing clean moves under braking and taking advantage of restarts to gain positions. Gabriele Minì struggled with brake lockups throughout the race and dropped out of contention, while Victor Martins held on to P8 to take the final point.
Another Safety Car period late in the race bunched the field up again, setting up a tense sprint to the finish. Light drizzle added another layer of difficulty as drivers fought to generate tyre temperature on the restarts. Beganovic remained composed, timing his launches perfectly and never allowing Browning to get within DRS range, while Dunne closed in but ran out of laps to mount a challenge for second place.
At the chequered flag, Dino Beganovic crossed the line to claim his first-ever F2 victory — a dominant and emotional win for the Swedish driver and his Hitech TGR team. Browning’s runner-up finish brought him closer to Fornaroli in the championship standings, while Dunne’s podium was an encouraging result in his rookie campaign. With the Feature Race still to come, the momentum has shifted and several drivers now have everything to play for on the streets of Baku.
| Read a Related Article |
|---|
