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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.
Arvid Lindblad will be the only rookie on the grid in 2026, which brings its own unique pressure.
He can only be compared to Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson, although the New Zealander already has more than 30 Grand Prix under his belt.
Arvid Lindblad has impressed Racing Bulls in testing so far… How will he compare to Liam Lawson this season?
Let us know in the comments below!
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.
READ MORE: Who is 2026 Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad? Everything you need to know
Martin Brundle hearing ‘impressive things’ about Arvid Lindblad ahead of his F1 debut
Racing Bulls had a very good test and didn’t appear to suffer from any major issues with their new power unit.
Alan Permane’s team would have provided some very useful data for Red Bull and Ford after debuting the DM01 in Barcelona.
On the fourth day of the shakedown, Lindblad set a 1:18.451 in his 47 laps, which was slightly quicker than Lawson’s best time, a 1:18.840.
The New Zealander completed 17 more laps, but speaking on The F1 Show, Brundle, Ted Kravitz and Craig Slater were discussing his teenage teammate.
Where will Arvid Lindblad rank among Formula 1’s recent rookies?
Kravitz asked whether Christian Horner was right about Lindblad, and Brundle responded: “I’m hearing impressive things about Lindblad.”
Kravitz continued: “Yes, it looks like Christian was right about Lindblad as well, that he was ready to promote him.”
Slater replied: “Belatedly, it would appear so!”
READ MORE: Who is Racing Bulls F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know
What Racing Bulls staff are internally saying about Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson
Although Lindblad’s first laps at Imola didn’t go to plan, his time on the track in Barcelona was far more successful.
Lindblad impressed Red Bull staff with his performance in FP1 in Mexico City last year, and a report from The Race has shared another interesting detail about his start to life at Racing Bulls.
The report suggests that Lindblad’s speed at its best is ‘very impressive’ and ‘Racing Bulls reckon he’s already looking quick compared to teammate Lawson’.
On top of this, Lindblad’s ‘inquisitive nature’ has stood out, and Permane has already been reminded of Isack Hadjar by Lindblad in his short time with the team.
Where this leaves Lawson going into 2026 is yet to be seen, but the fact that Lindblad has nearly reached his level after so little time in the car is a real concern.
Both Lindblad and Lawson are on one-year deals at Racing Bulls, but the British driver theoretically has a more promising future ahead of him.
Lawson has already had his chance at Red Bull, even if it was cut short outrageously quickly.
He will need to make sure that he beats Lindblad comprehensively to guarantee his place on the grid in 2027, whereas the British teenager heads into this season with far less to lose.
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