– For many young racing drivers, the jump from Formula 2 to Formula 1 should be the biggest in their career, but as far as pure driving is concerned, rookie Arvid Lindblad does not find the jump to be that difficult. On the contrary: His VCARB 03 is significantly easier to drive than a Formula 2 car, which he was still driving last year.
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According to him, this is simply due to the much more extensive possibilities that a Formula 1 team has compared to a racing team in the junior series. “The teams have many more control options, everything is technically extremely advanced,” says Lindblad. “Formula 2 is basically very simple – honestly, it’s a Formula 4 with wings. There is nothing highly complex about it.”
What at first sounds like a higher level of difficulty for Formula 1 is actually not the case from a driver’s perspective: “In Formula 1, you can go incredibly deep into detail. That simply makes everything better,” he says. “The teams can work much more finely, which makes the whole package much more mature.”
“We also have the switches on the steering wheel, with which we can adjust different corners or individual corner phases much more easily,” says Lindblad.
This precise fine-tuning makes it easier for the driver in Formula 1, while a driver in Formula 2 only has a 45-minute practice on Friday to prepare for the rest of the weekend.
“The car is much simpler in design, and if problems occur, you just have to deal with it and drive. In Formula 1, on the other hand, you can adjust an extremely large number of settings,” he explains.
Red Bull not harder according to Lawson
The Racing Bulls is also considered a docile car in Formula 1 circles, as shown by the points scored and the low error rate of its two inexperienced drivers. The docility is said to be a clear advantage especially compared to the Red Bull, which only Max Verstappen has managed in recent years.
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Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson showed significantly better performances in the B-team last year than in the A-team, and recently in Monza, Lawson seemed to have had some problems again as a replacement for Isack Hadjar at Red Bull.
But it does not seem to be the case that the RB22 is significantly harder to drive: “When I talk to Liam, who drove the Red Bull, he does not say at all that it is a worse car,” says Lindblad. “He said some aspects of it were even much more pleasant. So: I don’t know exactly.”
Happy with the Formula 1 debut
He can of course only assess his own car and seems to be getting along well with it. The results speak a clear language: In the past eight races, the rookie scored points seven times, and in nine of 13 qualifying sessions, he made it into the top 10.
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“I am really satisfied with how the year has gone so far,” says Lindblad. “I think I have done a good job.” At the same time, the statistics are also a good testimony for the team. “I have a good car. I think we have been one of the best – if not the best – midfield teams for large parts of the year.”
“Whether it is easy to drive or not, I find it hard to judge because I lack comparisons, but it is definitely easier to drive than a Formula 2 car and I would say it is a pretty manageable vehicle.”
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