Beganovic Takes Pole in 2026 F2 Season Opener in Melbourne

Dino Beganovic claimed a dominant pole position for the opening round of the 2026 FIA Formula 2 season at Albert Park, while the highly anticipated debut of former IndyCar star Colton Herta got off to a difficult start with a 14th-place qualifying result.

Why it matters:

The first qualifying session of the F2 season sets the tone for the championship battle and offers a crucial first look at the grid's new talent. Beganovic's commanding performance establishes him as an early title contender, while Herta's struggle highlights the steep learning curve drivers face when switching to the demanding F2 car, putting immediate pressure on his adaptation. As F1's primary feeder series, these results are a key indicator of future stars.

The details:

• Beganovic's Dominance: Driving for DAMS Lucas Oil, Beganovic set a blistering time of 1:28.695, over two-tenths clear of the field, to secure pole for Sunday's Feature Race.
• Herta's Difficult Session: Colton Herta, making his much-hyped F2 debut with Hitech, failed to complete a clean lap until the final moments. Despite showing flashes of pace with the fastest Sector 2 time, he finished over a second off the pole time.
• Sprint Race Grid: The top 10 from qualifying are reversed for Saturday's Sprint Race, handing the pole for that event to ART Grand Prix's Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, who qualified 10th.
• Strong Team Showings: Rodin Motorsport placed both Martinius Stenshorne (2nd) and Alex Dunne (3rd) in the top three, while Campos Racing also had a strong outing with Noel Leon (4th) and Nikola Tsolov (5th).

What's next:

The focus now shifts to the weekend's races where strategy and race pace will be tested.

• Sprint Race (Saturday): Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak will lead the field to the green flag from the reversed-grid pole, with Kush Maini (7th in qualifying) starting beside him. All eyes will be on Herta to see if he can fight through the field from 14th.
• Feature Race (Sunday): Dino Beganovic will have the prime opportunity to convert his pole into a maximum points haul for the championship. The battle behind him between the Rodin and Campos cars promises an intense fight for the podium from the start.