Rosin: Beganovic did ‘nearly a perfect job’ as PREMA streak clear in Melbourne

PREMA Racing Team Principal René Rosin was full of praise for the work done by his squad across the Melbourne weekend, reserving special praise for all three of his drivers especially Dino Beganovic.

The Swede took his maiden Formula 3 victory in Melbourne, coming through from third on the grid in the Feature Race to take top honours, with teammate Gabriele Minì joining him on the podium with his drive to P3.

It came a day after rookie Arvid Lindblad scored his second consecutive Sprint Race podium, finishing second behind Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Martinius Stenshorne at Albert Park.

PREMA also built up a lead in the Teams’ Standings after the end of Round 2, leading closest challengers in the form of compatriots Trident by 23 points.

“For sure it's been a very positive weekend,” said Rosin. “It started with a great podium in the Sprint Race with Arvid. It was very challenging with the tyres, there was quite a lot of graining affecting all the cars.

“So, we were able to manage pretty well and at the end we looked pretty strong. A few more laps and maybe Gabriele would have been able to overtake Leonardo Fornaroli for second.

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“Now of course it’s just the second round so we need to keep our heads down and get ready for the Barcelona test ahead of the Imola round, but we need to continue pushing the way we are doing.”

Tyre management was key across the Melbourne weekend, especially in the Feature Race and Rosin assessed how Beganovic and Minì were able to keep everything in check on their way to the podium.

“It was very, very challenging,” he revealed “I would say Dino has done nearly a perfect job. Saving when it was the moment to save, attacking when it was the moment to attack and then managing in the best way possible.

“I'm really proud of the job he has done and also Gabriele getting important points for both the Drivers’ and Teams' Championships. Again, it just pays off with the job we are doing and the great team that we are working with.”

Beganovic’s victory followed a difficult first round in Sakhir where the Swede, having taken pole position, dropped to the back of field in both races after difficult opening laps. Rosin says the result is a testament to his driver’s hard work.

“Round 1, I would say after the fantastic pole position, he did and the pace he had in the Feature Race after the trouble at the start, he deserved this win,” said Rosin.

“He deserved it for his commitment, his way off approaching the job and the way he is working with the team"

“He deserved it for his commitment, his way off approaching the job and the way he is working together with the team. But of course, the Championship is long and difficult, and we need to continue working race by race and maximising all the results.”

Rosin also paid tribute to the work done by rookie Lindblad in the opening couple of rounds of his Formula 3 career. However, while the PREMA boss had been impressed with what he’d seen so far, he urged caution saying the 16-year-old still has room to grow.

“We must remember that he is 16-years-old, coming from Formula 4, so it’s a big jump,” stated the PREMA boss. “He is very young, but he is doing a great job as he won the Sprint Race in Bahrain, and he got a P2 here.

“Honestly if there was no Safety Car in the last few laps, he could have attacked Stenshorne. He is doing a great job, and we need to remember that he is still in his second race coming from Formula 4 and at 16-years-old. I am really happy for him, but he still has room to grow.”