The 2026 Australian GP was Arvid Lindblad’s F1 debut race. He finished in P8, securing the first points of his F1 career.
A good start to the race briefly saw Lindblad in P3 after overtaking fellow Brits Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris. He finished in P8 — a great result for his very first outing in F1.
A very special feeling for Arvid Lindblad at the 2026 F1 Australian GP
It’s not every day that you can make your F1 debut, and Arvid Lindblad made his extra special by scoring his first points.
Speaking in the print media pen after the Australian GP, the young Brit spoke about how special that moment was for him.
“I mean, I wasn’t expecting this result. I think points on my debut is really good, especially from where we were in Bahrain. So a big thanks to the team, RBPT and Ford for the work they’ve done. I’m also very proud of myself. I don’t think I’ve made any mistakes this weekend. I think I’ve maximised the car in almost every session.”
Fighting with the big dogs in F1
Lindblad’s 2026 F1 Australian GP debut was nothing short of impressive. His start saw him fly up the grid into P3. He focused on finding the gaps and made every move count.
It allowed him to overtake Lawson, Hamilton, Norris, Hadjar and Antonelli by turn 1.
Ultimately his car pace saw him fall back to P8, losing out to Ollie Bearman in the midfield battle after a long race fighting with the Haas.
Fighting so high up the grid early doors meant that the rookie was racing amongst some of the greats in Formula 1. This made his first race even more special for Lindblad.
“It felt good. I mean, the team have done a good job. I focused on my procedure, did my bit right and then as soon as the lights went out, I was just searching for every gap there was and getting stuck in.
“That race was pretty cool. I don’t think saying just points on debut really summarises that race. I mean I think I was P3 at one point on lap 1, which is pretty nuts to think about. Sharing text rack, battling with Lewis, Max, Lando and all these guys, it’s very special.”
Strong start to the new era
The 2026 Australian GP marked the start of a new era in Formula 1. A whole new set of regulations has been implemented, which has meant huge changes to the cars.
Many drivers on the grid have shared their frustrations with the changes. Lindblad said that he wants to focus on himself rather than commenting on the changes.
“I don’t know, it’s different. In the end, F1 is in constant evolution. Yes, it’s a big change in Formula 1, whether it’s good or not, I’m not going to answer. I’m just going to focus on doing as best as I can with the team.
“I think this track is very unique with its energy demands, and I think that’s going to be much more of a thing this year than it has been in the past. Because of the new engine, every track has different characteristics, which I think will expose different weaknesses or strengths of the power unit. To answer your question, I think there will be much more fluctuation between the teams each weekend.
“There’s no point speculating, I’m just going to try and enjoy the moment, look with the team to see what I could have done better, and then focus on China.”
