Finishing eighth in his Australian debut, Arvid Lindblad confirms his status as a "fierce competitor"

The former talent scout of Red BullHelmut Marko seems to have had another stroke of genius in propelling Arvid Lindblad into the deep end. A gamble that many considered audacious. Sixth in Formula 2 In 2025, the former Campos Racing driver hadn't always been known for his consistency. But Red Bull hadn't hesitated to take matters into their own hands to obtain his Super Licence early. An intuition that paid off from the very first round of the F1 In Australia, the only rookie of this 2026 season took the checkered flag in eighth position, brilliantly.

« Arvid was amazing all weekend, Laurent Mekies, head of the parent team, congratulated him on Canal+ radio. I'm very happy for him and for the Racing Bulls team. It's important for us too; it adds up to a lot of mileage. But what he's doing is incredible. He's 18 years old, with this level of pressure for his first race and so little private testing… He's been part of our junior program for several years. He was hanging around the Formula 1 team's facilities at 15 or 16, using the simulator; it's fantastic for the future. »

🎤 "Learning happens at every turn"

Laurent Mekies speaks about the new way of managing races and Red Bull's overall performance 🙌 #f1 #australiangp pic.twitter.com/K8ZJ3JUSN2

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) March 8, 2026

Faced with an immense task, the Racing Bulls driver demonstrated an ever-impressive ability to adapt, despite having spent only one year in F3 And in F2, he outperformed his teammate in every session except Q3. And in the race, Arvid Lindblad confirmed his audacity. I know I'm the rookie, the young guy who's just arrived, but when I'm in the car I'm a fierce competitor. I'm going to seize every opportunity that comes my way. he assures F1. I showed it today and it was exciting for me to fight with guys like Hamiltonetc. I grew up watching him on TV; he's one of the reasons I fell in love with the sport. Fighting against him was really fun. There were a few times when I had to pinch myself to believe it! »

The Swedish-Indian driver finished the Australian Grand Prix in eighth position, giving Racing Bulls their first four points of the season, but certainly not their last if he continues his excellent run of form. I'm speechless. I was so excited to start my first F1 weekend. I've waited my whole life for this. The race was crazy, he exclaimed to Canal+. At one point I was third, it's crazy! I optimized everything I could in every session this weekend. I didn't make any mistakes. I'm already looking forward to China. Even better: at 18 years and 7 months, he made history by becoming the third youngest driver to score points in a Grand Prix, joining the ranks of Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli.

In China, however, a new and highly complex challenge awaits the newcomer: the sprint race. With only one practice session to get warmed up and familiarize himself with the track, Arvid Lindblad will have to adapt quickly if he aims to repeat his Melbourne success and confirm his status as a rising star.

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