Arvid Lindblad has opened up about his objectives for his rookie F1 campaign, adapting to the new VCARB 03, whether the season opener will set the tone for the rest of the 2026 season, and his relationship with Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson as he gears up for the Australian GP this weekend.
Racing Bulls finished the second round of testing in Bahrain with 407 laps, the second best in the entire field. Lindblad, who showed promising pace on individual runs, was the busiest driver of the test, clocking up 240 laps.
The 18-year-old, who inherited Isack Hadjar’s seat at Racing Bulls, will be the fourth-youngest racer in F1 history and the only rookie on the grid this year.
What Lindblad’s goals are for his maiden F1 season
In a Q&A session hosted by Racing Bulls, Arvid Lindblad discussed what his expectations are for his rookie season in F1. Underlining the cloud of uncertainty that hovers over the teams as they try to come to grips with the 2026 technical regulations, he said that the Faenza-based squad are concentrating their efforts on getting their ducks in a row before heading to Melbourne.
Admitting that he has a steep learning curve ahead of him, Lindblad also set a pretty reasonable goal so far as his first season in F1 is concerned.
“There are a lot of unknowns this year, so it’s difficult to put a specific number on expectations. We’re working extremely hard as a team to ensure we’re in the strongest possible position heading into Melbourne.
“Fighting for points is clearly our target, but I still have a lot to learn, and my focus is on continuing to work hard and improve every weekend.”
Moreover, singling out Suzuka, COTA, and Interlagos, Lindblad stated that he is looking forward to taking to the F1 tracks he isn’t familiar with yet in 2026.
“I am super excited to drive on tracks I haven’t been to yet. Suzuka, Austin, and São Paulo are the ones I’m especially looking forward to the most.”
Lindblad on the new Racing Bulls car and the 2026 F1 power units
Asked to highlight the strongest attribute of Racing Bulls’s 2026 F1 challenger, Arvid Lindblad responded that it’s difficult to make an informed appraisal before the season kicks off in Australia. Nonetheless, he commended Red Bull and their new partner Ford for delivering an engine that not only demonstrated speed but also reliability during the several rounds of pre-season testing.
“It’s still early to give a full assessment since we’re still in the middle of development, but so far, the engine has been performing well, it’s fast and reliable. Huge credit to Red Bull and Ford for all the incredible work they’ve done. I’m really excited to get to Melbourne and start racing.”
In terms of what the most challenging aspect has been about how the 2026 F1 cars work, a candid Lindblad placed emphasis on the new power units.
Under the brand-new regulations, engines have a near 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power and use fully sustainable fuels. While the cars of this new era are certainly more environmentally friendly, the extent of energy management required and its impact on driving styles over a single lap and race distance have been a big talking point for weeks.
Emphasising how the new cars will generate less downforce and thereby less grip in 2026, the British driver revealed that he is focused on understanding the behaviour of their power unit and optimising its performance.
“I would probably say the PU. It’s the biggest change this year. While there’s less downforce and grip, the way the PU behaves is something I’m not yet used to. My focus is on understanding it and figuring out how I can extract more performance.”
How Lindblad believes the 2026 F1 season will unfold
With regard to whether the results of the Australian GP will be indicative of how the rest of the 2026 F1 season will unfold, Arvid Lindblad argued that the classification in Melbourne will only validate the initial efforts of the teams and drivers throughout winter and pre-season testing.
Additionally, the 18-year-old maintained that the pecking order would significantly evolve over the course of 24 race weekends as teams gradually get on top of the all-new technical regulations.
“Formula One is in constant evolution and development, I think there will be much more of that this year.
“Melbourne will be a key baseline to see what teams and drivers have done best over the winter and how they’ve maximised testing. There’s so much to learn at such an accelerated pace that the grid in Melbourne will evolve significantly over the season, the cars we see in Abu Dhabi could be completely different.”
Lindblad’s relationship with Racing Bulls teammate Lawson
Touching on his relationship with his teammate at Racing Bulls, Arvid Lindblad stated that he and Liam Lawson are quite familiar with each other since they are both members of the Red Bull Junior Team and that he is excited to share the F1 garage with the New Zealander in 2026.
Furthermore, underscoring how proficient Red Bull’s satellite squad has been when it comes to nurturing young talents, Lindblad proclaimed that he has felt at home since the very beginning at Racing Bulls.
“Liam [Lawson] and I have known each other for some time as we’ve both been part of Red Bull Programme, so I’m really looking forward to sharing the garage with him.
“The environment in the team has been fantastic, everyone has been very welcoming. They’re experienced at working with young drivers and helping them get up to speed, so I’ve felt very at ease.”
