Dino Beganovic, a driver from the Ferrari Academy, will make his debut in an official Formula 1 weekend in Bahrain when he replaces Charles Leclerc at the wheel of the SF-25 during the first free practice session. This decision aligns with FIA regulations, which ensure young talents have opportunities to drive top-tier cars.
It will be a special Friday for Dino Beganovic next week in Bahrain. The young Swedish driver, part of the FDA—the program dedicated to nurturing talents under Ferrari’s wing—will make his debut in a Formula 1 car during a race weekend, driving the Ferrari SF-25 next weekend in Sakhir.
Beganovic will replace Charles Leclerc in the first free practice session before handing the car back to the Monegasque for the rest of the weekend. This choice is in line with FIA regulations, which state that each official driver must give up their seat at least twice during the season to a driver with a maximum of two Formula 1 race starts.
Compared to last season, opportunities for young drivers have increased, as the number of mandatory sessions per official driver has doubled from one to two, making a total of four FP1 sessions available for academy talents.
Ferrari has chosen Dino Beganovic, who has already had the chance to test a Ferrari single-seater during a training session in Barcelona earlier this year. However, he drove the SF-23 to comply with TPC testing regulations, which require using a car that is at least two seasons old.
The Swede will have a busy weekend in Bahrain. In addition to making his debut in the SF-25 during an official F1 session, the Ferrari Driver Academy pupil will also compete in the second round of the Formula 2 championship with the Hitech Grand Prix team.
Beganovic will thus become the fifth driver from the Maranello Academy to drive a Ferrari in an official session. The other four are Charles and Arthur Leclerc, Robert Shwartzman, and Oliver Bearman. Dino, who joined the Academy in 2020, will also be the second Swede to drive for Scuderia Ferrari in Formula 1, following Stefan Johansson, who raced for the team in 1985 and 1986, achieving six podiums in 31 races.
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