Campos Racing F2 driver Arvid Lindblad delivered an impressive comeback performance in Baku. He transformed what appeared to be a difficult weekend into a points-scoring success. Lindblad’s Baku comeback saw him rise from a challenging starting grid position of P14, after qualifying P17, to secure sixth place in Sunday’s Feature Race.
The weekend had looked like a tough prospect following qualifying struggles. He qualified P17, but the Campos Racing driver demonstrated remarkable resilience to earn some valuable championship points.
Race day redemption
Despite the early setbacks, Lindblad remained positive about his overall performance in Sunday’s F2 Feature Race. “It was a decent race in the end, quite happy with P6,” he stated.
However, early confusion threatened to derail Lindblad’s Baku comeback before it could truly begin. A miscommunication regarding track conditions cost him valuable positions at a crucial moment.
“It was a bit of a shame at the beginning of the race, I got some beeps in the ear and I thought it was a Virtual Safety Car. So I lifted, but it was just a double yellow, so I ended up getting passed on the straight by two cars.“
Strategic recovery drive
Lindblad’s Baku comeback was aided significantly by his team’s strategic decisions during the race. The Campos Racing squad’s pit strategy proved instrumental in helping him recover from his early losses.
“So, I lost momentum because even the start wasn’t mega. But then from then on, the team did a good job with the double stack and the second stint onwards, the race was pretty good,” he noted.
The Campos Racing driver capitalized on opportunities as they presented themselves throughout the F2 race. These opportunities proved crucial to his points-scoring drive.
“I got a good restart, made up a few places and took chances when they came. Overall, it was a pretty to be P6 in the end. There were definitely things that could have gone better, but I don’t think there were many more places within reach,” Lindblad reflected.
Qualifying disappointment
The foundation of Lindblad’s Baku comeback story lies in a qualifying session that failed to showcase the car’s true potential. Despite having competitive pace, track conditions and session disruptions prevented a representative grid position.
“The pace was quite solid this weekend, it was just a shame that Qualifying was such a mess that we weren’t really able to get a lap at all. But the race pace was good so hopefully we can carry this into the last two rounds,” he explained.
Sprint race foundation
Before Sunday’s main event, Saturday’s F2 Sprint Race provided an important stepping stone. Lindblad’s five-place grid penalty from Monza dropped him from his P17 qualifying position to P22, last on the Sprint grid. However, for Sunday’s Feature Race he started P14, improving his prospects for the main event. His recovery drive to P10 place in the Sprint Race demonstrated his weekend potential that would also be showcased on Sunday.
“It was also a shame taking the penalty forward from Monza, had to go from last in the Sprint., but wound up P10. And to score points in the Feature Race, it’s not bad. Based on where we were starting, it’s hard to expect much more,” he stated.
Looking ahead
With the championship break approaching, Lindblad expressed contentment with the upcoming calendar break after discussing his Baku comeback. The positive momentum from his points finish provides valuable confidence heading into the remaining F2 championship rounds.
“We have a bit of a break now, I’m not really that fussed to be honest. I enjoy when it’s a back-to-back, but I enjoy getting a bit of a break, so I don’t mind that either way. We’ll use the time off well and, in a month or so, I’ll be raring to get back to racing, I’m sure,” he concluded.
