Having freshly confirmed his seat for the 2027 lineup in Racing Bulls alongside his teammate Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad left the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP with mixed feelings.
While enjoying the outstanding atmosphere of the rainy Brazil, Lindblad admitted he could have finished in the points zone if the race had gone a bit differently.
Starting down in 18th, Lindblad finished just outside the points, taking the checkered flag in P11. Nico Hülkenberg overtook him into Turn 6 late into the race as the Audi driver had a lot more grip. It undid a nice drive from deep in the pack.
Enjoyable race with a “shameful” score
Lindblad started his 2026 F1 São Paulo GP weekend on the back foot during Friday practice, struggling with car balance and outright pace, finding it difficult to break into the top ten on the relatively short Interlagos circuit. The signals for a difficult weekend were already there from Friday, as track temperatures shifted.
Although the British rookie thoroughly enjoyed the wet conditions, he admitted wishing the race could have been cut short at lap 50. Losing crucial time while fighting wheel-to-wheel with Franco Colapinto and later struggling with severe drivability issues against Nico Hülkenberg, Lindblad felt unlucky with timing once the rain intensified.
“It was a fun race, I enjoyed it a lot. Especially if it ended on lap 50 or 55.
“We need to see what happened in the last 15-20 laps. I don’t think we managed everything perfectly there. What I could have done better, what we could have done better as a team.
“Obviously lost a lot of time with Franco. And then, I don’t know if we could have made better decisions. Just not lucky with the timings once the wet.
“Unfortunately, big drivability problems at the end of the last 10 laps. So it was incredibly difficult to race with Nico. I mean, just about keeping the car on the track. It was a shame. Because honestly, I think with 15 laps to go in my head, it was set to be in the points. So we need to see where it went wrong.”
Handling grid penalties and power unit limits
The weekend’s challenges weren’t restricted to the race at the midfield. Lindblad also had to contend with grid penalties and power unit limitations. He had to pull off in Q2 because of issues.
When asked how frustrating it is to deal with penalties, he maintained a pragmatic view and expressed that some things are simply out his control.
“In the end, we’ve had a very good engine all year.
“We take our penalties. Honestly, I felt like on this triple header I’ve been driving very well. But it doesn’t seem like it’s been all in my favour. Obviously, I’ve taken two grid penalties in the last three races. Three in the last five races. And quite a few things that have been a bit out of my control.
“It is what it is. I think my performance has been good. I’m happy with the level I’m driving at. I feel like I’ve made a step for the previous weekend. That’s the main thing I’m focused on. Just a shame not to have both cars in the points. Because it seems to be so good.”
Finding the fine line between speed and crashing in the Brazilian rain
Racing in mixed weather at the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP was a big learning experience for Lindblad, especially trying to manage energy settings against drivers like Colapinto while guessing the wet grip on track.
“Yeah, it was good. It was a hard fight. I had a speed limiter with the energy that was nice. With the way it works. I used the boost. And then he goes faster than me at the end of the straight. Which is amazing. With the overtake mode.”
Racing in the wet for the first time in F1 São Paulo, Lindblad admitted it was hard to find the right balance between speed and survival.
“Yeah, not easy, obviously. It’s difficult to know how much to push. Because obviously you don’t know how much is rain from the previous lap. So you’re kind of guessing the grip. If you drive too under it, you’re slow and you lose loads of time. So you want to risk. But the more you risk, it’s better and better until it’s in the wall. Normally when you risk in those conditions, if you have a moment, it’s in the fence. It’s not an easy position to be in. It was my first time racing in these conditions.
“I’m quite happy with it. I managed the race for the most part.”
The 2026 F1 São Paulo GP became one of Lindblad’s favorite F1 races so far
Despite the missed points, the sheer spectacle of the 2026 F1 São Paulo GP left a lasting impression on the young driver. Summing up his weekend, Lindblad looked past the timing sheets to appreciate the unique atmosphere of Interlagos.
“Amazing place, amazing race. Probably one of my most enjoyable races so far in Formula 1. The weather here makes it exciting. The track is amazing for racing. I think it’s a beautiful country, so I’ve enjoyed it a lot this week.”
