Ferrari gives Beganovic another opportunity
After a first season with Ferrari that ended without a podium finish, Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed a much stronger start to the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, securing three podiums in the opening six Grands Prix.
From the very beginning of the season, the seven-time world champion has appeared significantly more comfortable both with the technical characteristics of the car and within the Ferrari environment. The results have reflected that growing confidence, but at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya he will temporarily hand over his seat for the opening practice session.
Dino Beganovic will take over the Ferrari SF-26 during FP1 in Spain, giving the Swedish driver another valuable opportunity to gain Formula 1 experience.
Third Formula 1 weekend appearance
The Ferrari Driver Academy member will participate in the session as part of the FIA regulation that requires each team to field a driver with fewer than two Grand Prix starts on four occasions during the season. For the 22-year-old Swede, it will be his third appearance during a Formula 1 race weekend. Last year, Beganovic took part in the first free practice sessions in Bahrain and Austria, both times driving for Ferrari.
The Barcelona outing will therefore provide another important chance for the young driver to continue his development while helping Ferrari gather valuable data ahead of the rest of the weekend.
Barcelona becomes a showcase for young talent
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is widely regarded as one of the most complete tracks on the Formula 1 calendar. Its combination of high-speed corners, technical sections and a long straight makes it an excellent benchmark for evaluating the true performance differences between cars.
Because teams can gather extensive technical feedback at the Spanish venue, it is no surprise that several outfits have chosen this weekend to fulfil part of their rookie driver requirements.
Dino Beganovic will not be the only young driver taking part in FP1. In fact, almost a third of the grid will feature rookies during the opening practice session.
Also scheduled to run are Leonardo Fornaroli for McLaren, Luke Browning for Williams, Ayumu Iwasa for Red Bull, Paul Aron for Audi and Frederik Vesti for Mercedes. With so many emerging talents on track at the same time, Friday morning in Barcelona promises to be one of the most interesting rookie showcase sessions of the season, while also offering teams a valuable opportunity to evaluate the next generation of Formula 1 drivers.
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