Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad looks back with great satisfaction on his first half of the season in Formula 1. The 19-year-old Brit has quickly adapted to the highest level in his debut year, with eight Q3 appearances and a series of six consecutive points finishes between Monaco and Hungary. Lindblad himself calls his first months in Formula 1 nothing less than a dream.
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Lindblad started his season strongly with an eighth place in the opening race in Australia, after qualifying for Q3 for the first time. This was followed by seven more Q3 appearances, while he continued to develop within Racing Bulls. During the summer break, he looked back on his first months in Formula 1 and indicated that they had far exceeded his expectations.
F1.com asked Lindblad if his first races in the top class met expectations. “Absolutely, and in many ways my expectations have been exceeded,” he beamed. “It feels like I’ve already had so many great moments, even in such a short time. The team is amazing,” he praised Racing Bulls. “They welcomed me very warmly and really helped me to get up to speed.”
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Arvid Lindblad ‘emotional’ during F1 debut
For Lindblad, the feeling that he is actually living his childhood dream is especially important. “I’ve talked about it before, but this year I’m living my dream,” he continued. “It was incredibly fun and very special.” His debut at Albert Park is among the absolute highlights. “Melbourne was definitely the most special moment, simply because it was my first Grand Prix and of course because of how the weekend went. I did get a bit emotional, especially just before the race,” he admitted.
Other circuits also made an impression because Lindblad had never raced there physically before; he only knew them from video games. “Then there were the moments at the circuits new to me, like Shanghai and Suzuka. I drove around and thought: ‘This is so cool. I’ve seen these circuits so many times in F1 games and now I’m really driving on them.’ It’s much more exciting in real life than on the computer,” he assured with a laugh. Of course, his first home race was also an emotional moment. In July, Lindblad competed in front of his own crowd at Silverstone. “That was the next moment that really felt sentimental,” he continued seriously. “I’ve watched that race so many times on TV. I still remember standing on the starting grid, that I was participating and thought: ‘Wow, this is really happening.’”
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