DAMS Lucas Oil began its 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship season this weekend on the street circuit of Melbourne.

The team showed strong pace during Free Practice, setting very competitive sector times. Dino Beganovic, already quick from the start of the weekend, delivered an excellent performance in qualifying by securing pole position with a very solid lap. His teammate Roman Bilinski qualified in 12th position while discovering the Australian circuit. The rookie then finished 8th in the Sprint Race, scoring the first points of the season for DAMS Lucas Oil. After being involved in a contact, Dino Beganovic ultimately finished in 20th position.

In the Feature Race, the pole-sitter had a tricky start that dropped him to fifth place, Beganovic quickly regained pace and worked his way back into the leading group, notably benefiting from an incident involving several competitors.

On the other side of the garage, Roman Bilinski ran in the midfield during the early stages before progressing through the order thanks to effective race management, despite contact in the pit lane before the start which damaged his car and made his race conditions more difficult. Thanks to a well-timed pit stop and good tyre management, Beganovic showed very competitive pace, setting the fastest lap of the race as he climbed back to second position. However, on lap 16, the Swedish driver was forced to retire due to an alternator issue. Meanwhile, Roman Bilinski continued his progress in the closing stages, showing strong pace and gaining several positions to cross the line in 12th place.

DAMS Lucas Oil leaves Melbourne with valuable lessons learned ahead of the remainder of the championship.

Dino Beganovic:
“Starting the season with pole position and showing strong pace throughout the weekend is very encouraging. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue cost us the points we deserved, but we will focus on the positives and keep pushing forward.”
Qualifications : 1st ;  Sprint Race : 20th ;  Feature Race : DNF

Roman Bilinski:
“It was a challenging weekend, but we showed good performance and managed to get into the points. Unfortunately, an issue in the pit lane before the start of the Feature Race damaged the car and made the race very difficult to manage.”
Qualifications : 12th ;  Sprint Race : 8th ;  Feature Race : 12th

Charles Pic, Team Owner :
“It was a mixed weekend in Melbourne, but there are many positives to take away. Dino’s pole position in qualifying clearly showed strong potential. The Feature Race was more frustrating with Dino’s retirement while fighting at the front, but the pace was definitely there. We leave Melbourne with strong foundations to build on for the rest of the championship.”

Image: Dutch Photo Agency