– For Arvid Lindblad, the dream of Formula 1 has come true at a rapid pace. The 18-year-old Brit, who made his debut for the Racing Bulls team this season, admits after four races that he still hasn’t fully processed his rise to the top class.
Read more Node burst: This is why the Portugal victory is so important for Neuville
“I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet,” Lindblad tells BBC Newsbeat. “This is something I’ve worked towards my whole life. That it has now become reality is extremely special, extremely cool.”
The 18-year-old had marched through the junior formulas at record speed. After making a name for himself internationally for the first time in 2023 with a win at the Formula 4 race in Macau, he advanced to Formula 1 after just one season each in Formula 3 and Formula 2.
Points on debut
There, Lindblad quickly made a statement. At his debut in Australia, he qualified ninth and moved up to eighth place in the race, earning him his first four World Championship points immediately.
In the following races in China, Japan, and Miami, he remained without points but currently holds twelfth place in the World Championship. This puts him just two positions behind his more experienced teammate Liam Lawson.
Read more MotoGP live ticker Le Mans: Martin leads Aprilia podium, Bagnaia crashes
Photo gallery: Did you know? These drivers were once Red Bull juniors!
Lindblad places special emphasis on his roots. Before the start of the season, he visited Delhi because his mother is of British-Indian origin. A potential race in India would have great significance for the rookie. “I race under the British flag, so it’s pretty cool to have a home race. If there was a second one, that would also be very special,” says Lindblad.
Proud of his Indian roots
However, he has no illusions about the feasibility of such a Grand Prix: “I don’t know the details or how realistic it is, but it would mean a lot to me,” he says.
The 2026 Formula 1 season was recently marked by an unusual rhythm. After the cancellations of the races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, there was a five-week break before the Grand Prix in Miami took place. Now there is the next pause until the circus travels to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix on May 24.
Read more Alpine reveals: Why Franco Colapinto might have suddenly been so strong
