Campos Racing’s Arvid Lindblad returned to the podium with a superb drive to secure himself a P2 finish during the F2 Sprint Race in Monza. The Briton has endured a challenging run of form, securing points only on two occasions in the last three rounds. While he’d crossed the line to secure himself a podium-finish in Spa, a post-race disqualification cost him valuable points that could’ve boosted a late-season championship charge. However, now back on the podium, the 18 year-old moves up to sixth in the Drivers’ Standings with 101 points.
Lindblad’s podium is his first since his triumphant Feature Race win in Barcelona. During the post-sprint press conference, Lindblad spoke to Pit Debrief and other media outlets as he reflected on his race and acknowledged the difficult run of results he and Campos have faced in recent rounds: “Yeah, very happy. I mean, it’s been a very difficult past few rounds. We’ve struggled a lot for speed. But yeah, very grateful to everyone at Campos.”
“They worked really hard over the summer and I already felt from the first lap of FP [Free Practice] that it was a bit more normal again the car, a bit more like the beginning of the year. And I think that was shown throughout yesterday and then again in the race today. Really good speed all throughout. So I’m just happy to be sort of fighting again for wins.”
Tyre degradation impacted his fight for the win
The 18 year-old appeared to be quick from the get-go, making moves early into the race. Starting the race fifth, Lindblad quickly carved his way through the field and found himself in second by Lap 9. He admitted that while his early move into second put him into a strong position, he didn’t have the pace to drive away. Choosing to settle into a rhythm instead, tyre degradation ultimately denied him the chance of mounting an attack on race winner Leonardo Fornaroli.
Lindblad said: “In the beginning when I got into second, I didn’t feel that I had the pace to take the lead and drive away. So I was trying to wait to sort of build a bit of a tyre delta and then go towards the end. But I think we started degrading at the same point. So then when I wanted to try to push to take the lead, I was just struggling a bit with the tyres. So yeah, I wasn’t able to.”
More wins and consistency for the rest of the season
With just three rounds to go, Lindblad is targeting to secure more victories to strengthen his late-season push. The Briton acknowledged that consistent victories would put him back in the championship hunt. However, he remains focused on take each round as it comes and hopes to utilise his strong pace for a good Feature Race tomorrow.
“My target over the rest of the season is to try to win some races. I mean, if we’re fast and we’re able to win races, then I think that will bring us back into the championship fight. But I’m not really thinking of it saying I want to be in the championship fight. I mean, obviously it’s nice, but I’m just taking it race by race and trying to execute every session to the maximum.”
“And then we’ll see what happens. But I’m just very happy to be competitive again this weekend. I’m looking forward to a good race tomorrow and then we’ll take each weekend at a time.”
Weighs in on Colton Herta to F2 rumours
In recent weeks, the Formula 2 paddock has been buzzing with speculation about IndyCar driver Colton Herta and his potential move to Europe to join the F2 grid next year, in hopes of accumulating points for his super licence.
When asked for his thoughts on the situation, Lindblad responded: “Yeah, I think it would be amazing for motorsport. There’s not really that much of a link. IndyCar is obviously in the US, it’s quite sort of outside of the F1, F2, F3 ladder. So I think it’s amazing from him and quite courageous that he’s decided to make the move. So I think it’s amazing for the championship and the publicity of the sport. But yeah, I think it will be a difficult step.”
However, competing against young and fast talents who have grown up on many of these European circuits won’t be easy for Herta. Adapting to new machinery and quickly learning unfamiliar tracks will be crucial to success. With that said, given Herta’s pedigree and accomplishments in IndyCar, Lindblad expressed his excitement to see how this move could play out.
“I mean, like Leo [Fornaroli] said, it’s probably going to be all new tracks. It’s not an easy car to drive. I can imagine it’s quite different to the IndyCar. So it’s hard for us to really say now. For sure, it’ll be a challenge, but he’s very highly regarded. He’s done a very good job in the US. So it’ll be exciting to see.”
Like Herta, Lindblad’s name has floated around the Formula 1 paddock and has often been linked to a potential Formula 1 seat at VCARB in 2026. When asked about his plans for next year, Lindblad straightforwardly answered: “I don’t know, it’s still not decided yet, so we’ll wait and see.”
Issues at first chicane
Throughout the weekend, several drivers have struggled with the first chicane, often cutting straight across it. Lindblad noted that the first chicane naturally sees a lot of action due to its position at the end of a long DRS zone, making it a popular overtaking spot.
“I mean, I think part of it is just the circuit nature. It’s the main overtaking zone. You’re coming at the end of a big DRS zone. And yeah, it’s the main spot for overtaking. So that always makes sure there’s going to be a lot of action there.”
He further added that the corner’s layout also makes it easy for drivers to defend aggressively, often resulting in forcing their rivals off the track while holding their position.
“But then also just the corner nature, if you’re defending, it’s quite easy just to be on the inside and release the brake, make sure ahead of the apex and push the guy off next to you. And then you hold on to the position. So I didn’t see all the incidents. But with the way the guidelines and the rules are at the moment, it’s quite easy just to… [inaudible]”
