How Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls Abu Dhabi test times compared to Liam Lawson’s qualifying lap

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Arvid Lindblad drove for Racing Bulls in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Lindblad, who steps up from Formula 2, is the only rookie on next year’s grid.

25 different drivers featured in the test at the Yas Marina circuit. At Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson drove a 2026 ‘mule’ car using next year’s tyres, with his top speed capped at 300km/h.

Lindblad, on the other hand, drove the standard 2025 car. This was the template followed by most of the teams in a field split between youngsters and full-time drivers.

George Russell, Max Verstappen and the Cadillac duo were the only 2026 drivers absent from the test, which also saw Isack Hadjar make his debut for Red Bull. Jak Crawford set the fastest time for Aston Martin.

Racing Bulls take cautious approach with Arvid Lindblad in Abu Dhabi test

Lindblad was 17th fastest with a best time of a 1:26.519, which was nearly three seconds off Crawford’s benchmark. Lawson was one place ahead.

A comparison to the New Zealander’s qualifying pace is revealing. He set a 1:23.077 during Q2, a full 3.5 seconds quicker than Lindblad managed on Tuesday.

But looking at the race, Lawson’s fastest time was a 1:28.886. This suggests that Lindblad was running medium fuel loads and prioritising mileage over speed, an approach that makes sense for an 18-year-old.

Indeed, the Briton finished the day with a marathon 139 laps on the board, the equivalent of 2.4 race distances. Only three drivers logged more.

Unlike Crawford, Alpine’s Paul Aron and Williams’ Luke Browning in the top three, Racing Bulls didn’t chase any headline lap times with their new signing.

What has Arvid Lindblad said about partnering Liam Lawson?

The dynamic between Lindblad and Lawson is intriguing, and not just because it’s one of the few new combinations on the grid.

Lawson is facing his ‘last chance’ in the Red Bull setup after seeing off competition from Yuki Tsunoda for the seat next to Lindblad. If he’s outpaced by a rookie again, it’s hard to see him surviving.

However, Lindblad says it’s ‘pointless’ to think about beating Lawson because he has so much to learn. As he pointed out, he was still racing in karting three years ago.

With Helmut Marko gone, Lindblad may benefit from a more patient attitude among the Red Bull hierarchy.