FRECA champion Beganovic joins Prema in F3 for 2023

The Ferrari Academy driver, who secured the title at Mugello last weekend, will join fellow FRECA driver Paul Aron at the reigning teams’ champions next season.

The 18-year-old made his single seater debut in 2020 in Italian F4 with Prema, finishing third in the standings.

He graduated to FRECA the following year, finishing 13th, while also completing an Asian F3 campaign, where he finished seventh.

In 2022, Beganovic competed in both Formula Regional European and Asian Championships, finishing in fifth in the latter.

He sealed the European title 40 points clear of ART driver Gabriele Mini, scoring four wins and 12 podiums.

Beganovic said: “I am extremely happy to be racing with PREMA, my team, in the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship.

“It will be our fourth year together, and I'm very proud to continue working together. PREMA has an amazing history in Formula 3 and won at least one championship per year there.

“I think it is definitely a step in the right direction for my future and for the team, as we have been working for a long time together.

“Testing in Jerez put us in a good position with the preparations for next year, and we want to continue from that.”

Dino Beganovic, Prema

Photo by: Prema Powerteam

The Swede will partner Aron, who was confirmed as part of the team’s 2023 F3 line-up earlier this month.

Mercedes Formula 1 junior Aron also has a long-standing partnership with Prema, having taken his first steps in cars with Prema in Formula 4 in 2019, finishing third in the Italian championship.

He switched to ART Grand Prix for his move to the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020, but returned to the Prema fold for FRECA in 2021, since when he has scored six race wins.

Both drivers took part in all three days of the recent post-season FIA F3 test at Jerez with Prema alongside 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year and Williams F1-backed Zak O’Sullivan.

Team Principal Rene Rosin said: “We have been working with Dino since the very beginning of his single seater career, and we are elated to continue for 2023.

“We went through Formula 4 and Formula Regional with increasingly impressive results together, and his run in FRECA shows how competent and outstanding he has become as a driver.

“The 2023 season will be a key step in shaping the rest of his career and there is great promise.

“We are willing to support Dino in making a positive impact right from the start, and we will work as hard as possible throughout the winter months.”