Roman Bilinski enters his rookie Formula 2 campaign with a clear focus on development and consistency. After a single season in FIA Formula 3, the Polish driver now faces the biggest step of his career so far with DAMS Lucas Oil.
Eyes on Progress
Rookie Bilinski steps up from the FIA Formula 3 championship. Making the transition to Formula 2 after just one season in the series, the Polish driver looks ahead to what he hopes to achieve going into the opening rounds.
“I’d say Formula 2 is a big step. Dino’s a fantastic driver, so I’ve got possibly one of the best benchmarks, you could say, on the grid,” said Bilinski.
“Being there or thereabouts with Dino, just improving every race, that’s the main goal. I go into every weekend just looking to do the best job possible and we’ll see where we are at the end of the championship. I’m with a fantastic team as well, DAMS, so I’m very excited.”
Bilinski’s 2025 Formula 3 campaign saw him finish 11th in the overall standings. Notably, he won the Sprint Race in Monza and secured two podiums finishes in Melbourne’s Sprint Race and Monaco’s Feature Race.
Therefore, with a proven podium-worthy race pace, the Polish driver reflected on whether he sees this year primarily as a learning season, or one where he is able to fight at the front straight away.
“I think we can fight […] It’s not going to be easy. As Dino said, the next step is Formula 1, so this is probably as competitive as it gets […] but like I said before, I’m with a fantastic team, I can learn a lot from Dino as he’s got a lot of experience in Formula 3 and also Formula 2,” Bilinski explained.
“Also, being a Ferrari junior driver, there’s lots to learn from him, so I think we can fight somewhat at the front but, for sure, it’s not going to be easy, and we have to build step by step.”
Learning the Limits
Testing saw Bilinski step into Formula 2 machinery for the first time, giving him a taste of the category’s increased complexity and demand.
“It’s a completely different car to what I’m used to. We now have to manage different compounds in the same weekend. In testing, we have the hard and soft, which is something new for me, to make that big of a step in the same weekend,” explained Bilinski.
“In terms of grip, we’re quite a lot faster on the straights, but not so much in the corner so you have to adapt your driving a little bit. It’s tricky to be honest, but I think it’s been going well.” Â
The Opening Round
Bilinski walked away from the opening round in Melbourne 15th in the standings, after scoring one point in Saturday’s Sprint Race.
“Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Melbourne. It’s only once a year we get to travel to Australia, so you like to make the most of it and go a bit early and use it as an excuse to beat the jet lag, but no, it was great. Also the track is, for me, one of the best tracks we drive. It’s got so much camber and it’s just such a high-speed circuit, such an incredible amazing track,” reminisced the Polish driver.
“Honestly it is one off the best experiences, it’s a shame that it’s over so soon. But I am already looking forward to coming back in the future.”
Featured Image Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited