Arvid Lindblad has reflected on the “pinch me moments” that made up his debut for Racing Bulls in Australia as he got stuck in from lights out, battling some of his racing idols on a journey to scoring his first points of the year.
After finishing sixth in the 2025 Formula 2 season, the 18-year-old was promoted to Racing Bulls to partner Liam Lawson, becoming the only rookie driver on the F1 grid ahead of the new era of regulations.
He hit the ground running with consistent top-10 appearances throughout practice at Albert Park before making it to Q3 to take P9 in Qualifying. With his team mate suffering a slow start on the opening lap, Lindblad made the most of the opportunity to fly through the field, reaching as high as third place early on before eventually finishing in P8.
“I think I was P3 or something on Lap 1 which is pretty nuts,” he said after the race. “Definitely showed people that if there’s an opportunity I’m going to get stuck in and I’m not going to hang about.
“I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed this weekend a lot. I think there’s a few things from the race today that I could’ve managed slightly better but in general, it’s been really positive.
“I’m very happy with the weekend. I think I’ve almost got the maximum out of the car in every session so I’m looking forward to China now.”
Lindblad lost some positions as the more competitive teams found their rhythm, but this allowed him the chance to defend against World Champions like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton – something which the teenager has dreamed of through his junior career.
He also shone in a battle with Haas’ Ollie Bearman as the pair fought for seventh place later in the race, keeping it clean to round off a wholly impressive debut for the midfield outfit.
He added: “I know I’m sort of the ‘young kid’ and I’m the rookie, but when I’m in the car, I’m a fierce competitor. I’m going to take every opportunity I get, and I think I showed that today.
“It was very exciting for me to battle those guys. Talking about Lewis, I grew up watching him on the TV – he was one of the big reasons why I fell in love with the sport, so to have a battle with him was really cool. Definitely a few pinch me moments.”