Arvid Lindblad has credited the “phenomenal job” from Red Bull and Ford for being able to score points on his Formula 1 debut in the Australian Grand Prix.
The 18-year-old became the fourth-youngest debutant in F1 history in Melbourne, and completed an already-memorable day by finished eighth.
Lindlbad was briefly up to third on the first lap after a dramatic start, which saw the Mercedes pair lose its front row advantage to Charles Leclerc, who took the lead.
Starting ninth, Lindblad got a remarkable getaway – a contrast to slow-starting teammate Liam Lawson – and towards the end of the lap, jostled with Isack Hadjar and Lewis Hamilton, losing out to the Ferrari at Turn 15.
The Brit was unable to maintain a challenge to Oliver Bearman, after losing a battle for position with the Haas driver late in the race.
But Lindblad told media including Motorsport Week after that race that it was “very special” day.
“I don’t think I’ve really made any mistakes this weekend,” he added. “I think I’ve maximised the car in almost every session.”
Asked about his start, Lindblad spoke of his laser focus, and indicated he was not shying away once he got wheel-to-wheel.
“Yeah, it felt good,” he said. “I mean, the team have done a good job. I just focused on my procedure, did my bit right. And then as soon as the lights went out, I was just searching for every gap there was and getting stuck in.”
Arvid Lindblad: Red Bull and Ford has ‘one of the best’ engines on the F1 grid
Pre-season testing saw Haas and Alpine come away as the outliers of the midfield, with many predicting the two teams would be the stand-out challengers in that glut of the field.
But Lindblad proved that Racing Bulls has been beavering away back at Faenza between then and now, and when asked if it was a surprise, Lindblad agreed, crediting Red Bull and its powertrains alliance with Ford for enabling him to complete such a memorable maiden race.
“Yeah, definitely. I think it’s been a surprise for I and the team. You know, they’ve done an amazing job,” he said.
“They’ve got a really good upgrade this weekend. RBPT and Ford have done a phenomenal job. I don’t think people have really touched on that.
“In the end, Red Bull have made a new engine. Not only is it reliable, [but] it’s performing, arguably one of the best on the grid. It’s extremely efficient for us.
“I think only Red Bull would look to do a project like this, and I think it’s extremely impressive what they’ve done. It’s pretty cool to see how competitive we’ve been.”
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