Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad will be pleased to have got his first significant run in a 2026 Formula 1 car under his belt in Barcelona.
Lindblad will be the only rookie on the grid in 2026, which brings its own unique pressure.
Lindblad crashed on his initial outing in the Racing Bulls car at Imola, but had a far more successful time in Barcelona for the shakedown.
Now, Martin Brundle has shared what insiders are already telling him about the 18-year-old, and why British fans should be excited about their fifth driver on the grid this year.
Martin Brundle relays excitement of those inside paddock over Racing Bulls rookie
Arvid Lindblad is drawing attention not just from fans eager to see another British talent but also from those within the F1 paddock who are starting to take notice of what he might bring to Racing Bulls.
The early signs from testing have been encouraging. After a rocky start with a crash at Imola, he completed over 300 laps during Barcelona’s pre-season running. It’s given him valuable experience and a chance to start building confidence ahead of his debut campaign.
The team were satisfied with how things went. One said: “Good job Arvid, that was a solid first day out there.”
“It was good,” Lindblad reflected after testing. “Nice to get back into it after having some time off and not being able to drive for quite some time. But yeah, nice getting up to speed again.”
Lindblad might be turning heads now, but there was a time when Mercedes had their eye on him before dropping their interest late into his F3 days. It raises questions about whether they’ll come to regret that decision down the line.
Martin Brundle picks up encouraging feedback on Arvid Lindblad ahead of his F1 debut
Racing Bulls had a smooth test in Barcelona, with their new power unit holding up well throughout the session.
The data collected from the DM01’s first run should prove valuable for both Red Bull and Ford as they continue to develop the car.
Lindblad managed a best lap of 1:18.451 over 47 laps on the fourth day, just edging out Lawson’s fastest time of 1:18.840, though Lawson put in 17 more laps overall.
While discussing the rookie during The F1 Show, Kravitz asked Brundle if Christian Horner was right about Lindblad’s readiness.
Brundle replied: “I’m hearing impressive things about Lindblad.” Kravitz agreed, saying: “Yes, it looks like Christian was right about Lindblad as well, that he was ready to promote him.” Slater added: “Belatedly, it would appear so!”
How Racing Bulls staff view Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson behind the scenes
His run in Barcelona, though, gave Racing Bulls a better sense of what he can do. The 18-year-old put in solid laps and started to show signs of why the team is interested in his potential.
Lindblad had caught the eye during FP1 in Mexico City last year, and now reports from The Race are backing up those early impressions with more detail about his integration into the team.
The same report highlights Lindblad’s raw speed as ‘very impressive’ and suggests that Racing Bulls already believe he’s looking quick compared to Lawson.
Additionally, it’s not just pace that has caught attention. Alan Permane has noted similarities between Lindblad’s approach and Isack Hadjar’s during his own early days with the team.
Lawson will need to clearly outperform Lindblad this season if he wants to secure his place on the grid for 2027. Meanwhile, Lindblad enters this year with much less pressure on his shoulders and plenty of room to grow.
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