The F1 livery season kick-started last Thursday, the 15th, with the unveiling of two new liveries. The sibling teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, revealed their designs for 2026 at the Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Ford Racing, which will be helping with the engines for both teams, took part in the unveiling.
Arvid Lindblad is the only rookie for the 2026 F1 season and the youngest driver on the grid after joining Racing Bulls as their second driver.
After becoming the youngest ever F2 race winner at the age of 17 and finishing sixth in the drivers’ standings last year, his performance secured him a seat in Formula 1.
A new beginning, and a fresh perspective
Arvid Lindblad has explained that his end goal is not just getting into F1, and that it is only the first step of his new journey ahead of his rookie campaign in 2026.
He added that he is focusing on the main priorities, which is learning many things, and looks forward to the future.
“But for me, I wouldn’t say the end goal was not just to get to Formula One. I mean, obviously, I had a lot of belief and that was the main thing I was focused on. But I’m now starting a new journey and I would say step one complete.
“And now just looking forward to the future. There’s a lot of work that needs to be put in. There’s a lot of things to learn. I’m excited for this new journey,” he explained during an interview with Sky during the 2026 car livery launch.
Navigating the season without a fixed plan
Arvid Lindblad outlined that he doesn’t have a fixed five-year plan. With the new rules and regulations, he thinks that the season would change each session and weekend due to constant updates and tweaks throughout the year.
Although he later said he does have some expectations, his plan was to focus on doing his talking on track.
“I think in F1, you know, it’s hard to know how things are.
“I mean, especially now it’s a new regulation. Things will literally be changing by the session, by the weekend. It’s going to be a massive evolution. So, I’ve got hopes for in five years’ time, but I’d rather do my talking on the track and just stay focused on day by day.”
Equal conditions with a new F1 car going into the 2026 season
Arvid Lindblad shared his perspective about the new rules and regulations for F1 2026. He believes it’ll be a new experience and journey to adapt for everyone.
He added that his initial experience on the sim was hard to explain. This was because they hadn’t driven it in real life to date.
“I mean, it’s hard to say. I mean, in the sense that it’s a sim, we haven’t even driven it on the track yet. But no, I mean, I’ve enjoyed driving the car.
“It’s different, especially the F1 side. There’s a lot more to manage. There’s a lot more going on. So, it’s not going to be easy. When you step up to F1, there’s a lot more things to manage. There’s going to be even more so this year.
“So, it’s not going to be easy. And there’s a lot to be on top of. But I’m looking forward to it. And we’ll see.”
