(Motorsport-Total.com) – The disappointment was boundless, the day ruined. Arvid Lindblad’s stranded VCARB 03 caused not only chaos at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, when the field had to complete two additional formation laps, but also the barely concealed frustration of the 18-year-old.
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Figuratively speaking, his race never got out of first gear; literally, he couldn’t even engage first gear. A failing clutch was the culprit that forced Lindblad to give up his ninth starting position and spend the next two hours dejectedly in the garage.
“It’s a bit annoying,” Lindblad grimaced when he was called into the media zone during the still ongoing race. “Considering that Colapinto is now in sixth place – and we would have started ahead of him,” he complained.
And he has every reason to be downcast. Teammate Liam Lawson showed with eighth place what the Racing Bulls car was capable of, despite missing the entire Friday due to a hydraulic problem, while Lindblad made it into Q3 and was supposed to start the race from ninth place.
Sixth place and the associated eight points would have been the icing on the cake for an otherwise brilliant weekend for the young Brit. Lindblad had never raced in Montreal before but mastered the demands and peculiarities around Ile Notre-Dame like a veteran. A single, only faintly consoling point for eighth place in the sprint was his reward.
But his chance will come again. Racing Bulls usually find ways to give their young talents the opportunity to demonstrate their worth with a headline result – provided circumstances allow it. Just ask Isack Hadjar, whose third place in Zandvoort last year put him in the conversation for a Red Bull cockpit.
No big pressure for Lindblad in his rookie year
Under new leadership, a certain calm seems to have settled in Red Bull’s junior program. When Helmut Marko was in charge, belonging to his juniors was a double-edged sword.
No other junior program has brought as many drivers into Formula 1, but that was also due to the notoriously high turnover: those who did not deliver were quickly out. This system brought Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen into world championship cars and also led drivers like later race winners Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly into Formula 1.
But every success is countered by numerous discarded drivers: Jaime Alguersuari, Jean-Eric Vergne, Sebastien Buemi, and others were cut as soon as things got difficult. No wonder some young drivers were bold enough to reject an offer from Marko.
Last year was a perfect example of the program’s occasional unpredictability: Lawson was removed from the Red Bull cockpit as quickly as he got in, while Yuki Tsunoda was given comparatively more time to prove himself – but currently only serves as a reserve driver.
Today, however, the perception has clearly relaxed. Without constant rumors about his future, Lawson is having a strong season, and Lindblad is not under unnecessary external pressure in his rookie year.
It certainly helps that the next generation of talents is still a few years away from the top class. In Formula 2, Nikola Tsolov is knocking on the door to become the first Bulgarian Formula 1 driver, while drivers like British Formula 4 champion Fionn McLaughlin, Eurocup-3 titleholder Mattia Colnaghi, and Mexican hopeful Ernesto Rivera are competing in Formula 3.
This gives Lindblad security and the opportunity to develop in a low-pressure environment. One must not forget how quickly Lindblad has risen. Less than three years ago, he was still racing in Formula 4, spent only one year each in Formula 3 and Formula 2, and was then promoted directly to Formula 1.
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Encouraging start and still room for improvement
Some questioned whether he was ready for the demands of the top class after finishing sixth in the championship, but winning a title is not decisive at the last step. Kimi Antonelli was also sixth in his only Formula 2 season – and is currently doing quite well …
Points on debut in Australia, while holding off Gabriel Bortoleto, were an initial proof of Lindblad’s qualities. The following races in China, Japan, and Miami were less fortunate for the half-Swedish, half British-Indian driver, especially in Miami, where he was eliminated in Q1. But overall, he has so far kept pace with Lawson.
In qualifying duels at Grands Prix, Lawson leads 3:2, which from Lindblad’s perspective is a very encouraging start. The upcoming races should also suit him, as he already knows the European tracks.
Red Bull juniors in Formula 1
He no longer has to learn new courses and get used to Formula 1 at the same time. By now, he is very familiar with his white-painted car and moves in familiar surroundings. This gives him the chance to show what he is capable of – especially in Barcelona, where he has already won in both Formula 2 and Formula 3.
An impressive aspect of his driving style is his handling of longer stints, especially on harder tires. He demonstrated this in the Montreal sprint when he built an early lead over Colapinto and secured the last point. That he managed this early in the race shows that he has learned from previous outings where he needed several laps to find his rhythm.
Perhaps this was due to a certain caution to avoid overloading the tires too quickly. But here, the right balance must be found. With growing experience, he will find the optimal point between tire management and faster achievement of the temperature window.
The right environment and the right attitude
It is easy to forget that Lindblad is only 18 years old. Perhaps drivers like Verstappen, Lance Stroll, and Antonelli with their early debuts have normalized this image, or it is because Lindblad’s reflective nature and calm do not fit the cliché of a hot-headed youngster.
Racing drivers are a special species, and for those who have been traveling the world to race for years, Formula 1 becomes second nature. It helps that Lindblad has Oliver Rowland, the reigning Formula E world champion, as an experienced mentor by his side. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane, himself an experienced Formula 1 engineer, has also highlighted this.
“He stepped in at a high level, that’s clear. I think he has chosen very wisely with whom he works off the track. Ollie Rowland takes care of him, is a kind of mentor or sparring partner, whatever you want to call it. Ollie is here this weekend, which is a real advantage,” said Permane in Canada.
“Arvid is quite demanding, which I also like. He wants everything immediately. If anything, you have to hold him back a bit and keep him at this level. You can see that he wants to go far. He is self-critical, and that is a very positive trait. He looks for performance first in himself. So there are no problems with Arvid, he is doing a very good job.”
This is exactly the hunger you want to see in a young driver, and the disappointment from Sunday in Canada will only drive Lindblad further. He is a young man with great speed – but he must be careful not to skip too many important learning steps this year.
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