Arvid Lindblad looks back on a disappointing Canadian GP. After a promising sprint race – in which he scored one World Championship point with an eighth place – he qualified for the main event in P9, equaling his best qualifying result ever. He had high expectations for the race, but had to retire before the start due to a gearbox problem. Nevertheless, the British-Swedish talent continues to make a name for himself.
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“The blue lights came on, but the car wouldn’t go into gear,” Lindblad sighed afterwards to the F1 cameras. “So yes, a gearbox problem – I can’t say more than that. It’s a shame.” The disappointment was clear on his face. When asked how this retirement felt after such a strong qualifying, he responded frustrated. “Yes, a bit annoying, I would say. Especially now that Colapinto finished sixth; I would have originally started ahead of him.”
This is indicative of Lindblad’s tough mentality, who despite this retirement impresses within the Racing Bulls team and far beyond. On his debut in Melbourne, he immediately finished in the top 10, after which he showed good things in the following Grands Prix with Red Bull’s development team. He is also self-critical; initially, he was not satisfied with the ninth starting position in Montreal and felt he could have gotten more out of the VCARB 03.
‘He wants to reach the top’
Former champion Jacques Villeneuve has certainly noticed Arvid Lindblad’s debut. “Although he camein with little experience, he already keeps his teammate (Lawson, ed.) in check,” said the Canadian in an F1TV broadcast. “We hear it here and there: the team is focusing on him, and that is already a good step in Formula 1. He seems very confident and feels that he belongs in the sport. He is aiming for the long term and works hard to improve.”
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Within Racing Bulls, they are also satisfied with the progress. “He (Lindblad, ed.) started at a high level,” acknowledged team principal Alan Permane. “I think he has been very smart in the people he surrounds himself with off the track. Oliver Rowland (Formula E champion, ed.) has taken him under his wing and acts as a mentor. Ollie is here every weekend; he is really a great asset.” About his attitude: “Arvid is quite demanding, which I also like. He wants everything immediately. If there is something, you have to calm him down a bit and keep him on the right track. You can see that he aims high – he wants to reach the top. He is also self-critical, which I find a good and refreshing trait in a driver. He looks at himself first to improve performance. So we experience zero problems, he is doing very well.”
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