Heading into Round 8 of the 2026 FIA Formula 2 season, Roman Bilinski reflected on his season and his single-seater career so far.
On Track Familiarity
With five straight point-scoring finishes under his belt, Bilinski discussed the impact of revisiting tracks he knows well and how that familiarity has contributed to his recent upturn in form.
“I’d say part of it is due to that for sure. It definitely helps. I still think the start of the season was very strong, just a lot of things didn’t exactly go our way. I had quite a few mechanical issues and I didn’t even do one round – the Miami round. I think part of this is also linked into it,” the Pole reflected.
“But definitely, the last few rounds have been very strong from my side at least and hopefully we can keep working in this direction and push both myself and the team forward.”
Bilinski’s Season So Far
At the halfway stage of the 2026 Formula 2 season, Bilinski reflected on his rookie campaign so far, evaluating his progress while identifying the areas he believes still need improvement.
“I’d say strengths for us, mainly the races. We have a good race package at DAMS and we really had to kind of work on the quality, partly my side, but also the team. And I think that has shown quite well in the last few rounds,” reflected Bilinski.
“As I said, Barcelona was on for an extremely solid lap until the red flag in the last corner, and also the last quality at Silverstone was strong. I think it’s now just piecing it all together and doing this more consistently throughout the season, which the last few rounds has shown we can do. But now it’s just bringing that on to here and the next rounds.”
From F3 to F2
Having now settled into life in Formula 2, Bilinski explained the most significant differences he has encountered since graduating from Formula 3. The DAMS racer spoke about both the technical and mental adjustments he has had to make.
“I think there’s a lot that factors in going from Formula 3 to Formula 2 and so much that I’ve learned from the start of the season. I have to be honest, I don’t want to say all of it because, of course, I wouldn’t want to give that away, especially as the last few rounds have been going well. But, you know, in F2, I would say it’s a lot more technical and learning about that and learning how to implement that into these races, qualities, practices accounts for a lot,” the driver admitted
“So I think this is very important. But, you know, there’s all the different weekends going from F3 to F2. We’ve got the different compounds in a weekend, pit stops, etc. So learning these things and getting on top of them as soon as possible”
The Rewards and Challenges of Spa
Looking ahead to Spa-Francorchamps, Bilinski shared his thoughts on one of racing’s most iconic circuits, discussing the unique challenges it presents and what makes it such a favourite across the field.
“Definitely Spa is one of those historic tracks which I believe all the drivers love coming back to. It’s a dream to drive there, and each time you go up Eau Rouge, it’s a fantastic feeling in the cockpit of the car. It definitely has its challenges though.” Bilinski recounted.
“Here you’ve got a bit of everything. You’ve got high speed corners, slow speed chicanes, medium speed, and what’s punishing about Spa is there’s not really much runoff as well. It’s straight to gravel, which personally I quite like. It’s a bit more old school and less of the track limits of white lines and you get punished if you go off. So this is quite good and it has its own challenges with elevation change and the weather as well. You never really know what the weather is doing.”
“For example, this weekend it keeps changing saying it’s going to be dry and wet. And quite honestly, I think the best thing will be when you wake up and you look outside and then you see what the weather is because it keeps changing so much.”
Celebrating his Maiden Podium
Reflecting on the standout moment of his rookie season so far, Bilinski looked back on his Sprint Race podium in Monaco, and what the achievement meant at one of motorsport’s most prestigious venues.
“It definitely was a fantastic feeling. You know, for me it was very important to get a good result at some point in the season because especially the first few rounds were very difficult. But, that’s a very good thing for myself and the team and since then, we’ve just been progressing forward. And to do it at a track like Monaco, is a historic track where some great drivers have been on the podium and won there. So, it’s a fantastic feeling and also to be the first Polish driver on the Formula 2 podium as well was something very cool and very special to me.”
Life Within the Team
Turning to life within the team, Bilinski discussed the benefits of partnering with the experienced Dino Beganovic and the role the veteran has played in his adaptation to Formula 2.
“It’s massively helped because I would say there’s rookies and then there’s rookies. I, for example, I only did one year in F3 and then straight into F2, whereas, having a driver like Dino who did multiple years in F3 and now is in his second season of F2 and a Ferrari driver as well and done many days driving the F1 car. Having someone like that to learn from is extremely important,” explained Bilinski.
“And even hearing the discussions, the feedback and everything like that for myself is very important to learn that. I’m very thankful for it. And, you know, Dino and I, we get on really well. We were able to joke around a lot. There’s a good vibe in the team, so to learn from him is important and the team environment is great.”
Staying Consistent
Consistency in Formula 2 extends beyond speed. The DAMS driver reflected on the mental preparation that helps him stay focused and composed, even when faced with setbacks during a race or across the season.
“I would say it’s sort of a thing that happens over time. You know, if I if I look back at my career, back when you’re in karting, and you think you’re at the Formula One World Championship for every single race, if one thing goes wrong, you know, you can be upset, crying or whatever,” recounted Bilinski.
“Now, quite honestly, it’s a bit sad, but even when things go well, or not so well, I’d say my emotion is very level, which performance-wise, I think is good and important. In terms of enjoyment, I would say it’s not ideal, but you know, it’s about keeping as level as possible, and this makes the performance ideally stay as consistent as possible.”
Formula 2 returns for the Sprint race at 14:15 local time.
Featured Image Credits: Formula 2 on X