Arvid Lindblad admitted he needs to regroup after a difficult 2026 F1 Singapore GP, in which a poor launch and a power unit issue dropped the Racing Bulls driver from ninth on the grid to 15th at the chequered flag.
Max Verstappen took the headlines at Marina Bay, converting pole into his first F1 Singapore GP victory by 7.3 seconds from Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli. Lindblad’s evening, by contrast, unravelled almost as soon as the lights went out.
The British rookie lined up ninth after George Russell’s grid penalty took effect, a promising slot on a circuit where track position counts for everything. He fell to 13th on the opening lap and spent the rest of the race fighting a car he could not fully exploit. Team-mate Liam Lawson, meanwhile, jumped ahead of Pierre Gasly at the start and went on to claim seventh, with Nico Hülkenberg eighth just behind him.
Lindblad did not hide his frustration when he spoke in the print media pen after the 2026 F1 Singapore GP Race.
“I mean, it was pretty terrible. I mean, I started 9th, finished 15th, so it’s not really much to be particularly happy about. You need to understand what happened on the start, if my procedure was wrong or what, but it was very bad.”
His troubles grew at the first corner, where he had to back out to avoid contact. He was sandwiched between the German in the Audi and the Spaniard in the Williams.
“And then obviously I got pinched into Turn 1, so I had to brake. Otherwise it would have been a crash, so I lost a few more places. And then, yeah, I mean, I mean, Lap 1 kind of set us up already for a very difficult race.”
A long evening at Marina Bay
From 13th, Lindblad struggled to make headway on a circuit where track position counts for everything. George Russell, who started 19th, swept past him in the early laps, and Isack Hadjar, who started from the back of the grid, also moved ahead of him on Lap 16.
Lindblad explained that his team had to protect the car, which left him exposed on the straights.
“But then, after that I just had quite a few issues. We were trying to nurse and got driven past a few times on the straights. And just not, it’s not been the easiest race, so you just need to look at it with the team, understand what happened, why it’s been a bit difficult.
“And then on my side, just trying a little bit of a reset, to be honest, because, yes, hopefully I’ve been in my full form as possible.”
A bad start, but no explanation yet
Racing Bulls has often launched better than the senior Red Bull team this season, which made Lindblad’s getaway all the more surprising. The 19-year-old said he had not yet reviewed the footage but accepted responsibility.
“I haven’t looked at the start. I mean, Liam’s start was fine, you know, it was just mine. It’s one bad start in all the races this year, so I don’t know, I’ll just have a look at it.
“I guess I did something wrong, but fine, I’ll have a look at it.”
He pinpointed the power unit as the main factor that held him back once the race settled down.
“Yeah, the issues with the P.U., we’re trying to look after. Getting driven past on the straights, the engine braking was pretty bad, so it was not an easy drive.”
Eyes on Austin
The championship now heads to the United States GP in Austin, and Lindblad wants to use the break to clear his head. When asked whether he needed a reset and some time away before the next round, he replied simply: “Exactly.”
