Arvid Lindblad says it was ‘nuts’ to knock Max Verstappen out of qualifying in his third F1 race

Follow us on Google Discover

Arvid Lindblad has admitted that it was ‘nuts’ to knock Max Verstappen out of qualifying during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

Heading into the 2026 Formula 1 season, Lindblad was the only rookie on the grid, having been signed to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls after impressing in Formula 2. 

The 18-year-old Brit, who also has Swedish and Indian heritage, has produced some stellar performances so far this season, scoring four points from the opening three races.

During the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, Lindblad stole the headlines after knocking four-time world champion Verstappen out of Q2, securing his place in Q3 with a time of 1:30.109. 

Final time 💪 Who is the F1 GOAT, Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Arvid Lindblad describes knocking Max Verstappen out of qualifying as ‘pretty nuts’

Speaking on the recent episode of the Beyond The Grid podcast, Lindblad was asked about his qualifying tussle with Verstappen. 

The teenager admitted it was ‘pretty nuts’ to knock Verstappen out of qualifying, especially after having problems during practice.

He also stated that he went into qualifying feeling a little ‘lost’ but was prepared to leave everything out on the track.

Lindblad said: “Yeah, it was pretty nuts, it was cool. I mean, going almost a bit back, it wasn’t an easy weekend. FP1 was okay, and then I missed all of FP2 due to an issue. I missed a good chunk of FP3.

“I was coming into quali a little bit lost and not sure what to expect. Suzuka is such a high-speed track that you need a lot of commitment, which means you need confidence; you need laps to build that confidence.

“I told myself it’s probably going to be my last chance, this is my lap to do that and I just sent it and hope for the best. And it was pretty cool. It was a pretty good lap, I didn’t make any mistakes. I hooked it up well.”

F1 is back but which team will have made the biggest step forward since Japan?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Going into details of his lap, Lindblad touched on being ‘efficient’ and saving enough energy for the straights.

He added: “I remember screaming in the helmet because I was like come on, don’t mess this up. I just broke late, got the curve nicely, and the delta went up to like six and a half tenths, and then I crossed the line. 

“The first thing when I opened the radio was ‘Come on, that’s got to be enough. Please tell me that’s enough’.”

READ MORE: Arvid Lindblad told to ‘take a bow’ after destroying Liam Lawson at the Japanese Grand Prix

VCARB rookie Arvid Lindblad ‘doesn’t care’ who he beats on track

Despite being just 18 years old and taking part in his first F1 season, Lindblad’s confidence is there for all to see.

Although Lindblad admitted it was ‘nuts’ to knock Verstappen out, he ultimately does not care about who he beats, just as long as he is getting the better of his rivals.

When asked if Verstappen spoke to him after what happened in Japan, Lindblad said: “We haven’t really spoken about it. I mean, obviously, for him, it was not a particularly nice day.

“He hasn’t had the most fun so far this year, but I mean, for me, to be honest, I don’t really care who it is that I knock out or beat. In the end, I was just so happy to be in Q3.

“After all the difficulties that weekend, to pull it off with my guys was a very special moment. Yeah, doesn’t really matter the person.”