Arvid Lindblad has been left wondering his fate if technical issues had not cut short his track-time during his rookie Formula 1 season so far.
Lindblad made a stellar start to his F1 career with an eighth-placed finish at the season-opening Australian GP.
But since then, luck hasn’t favoured the Briton’s exploits on track – and it has reflected on his performances so far.
The 18-year-old has been plagued by a swathe of technical issues with his Racing Bulls car at the subsequent races at China, Japan and Miami.
At the Miami International Autodrome, Lindblad was forced to miss out the Sprint race, eventually taking part in the race on Sunday and taking the chequered flag in 14th.
“We knew going into it, it wasn’t going to be easy, just from being down on mileage from missing the Sprint,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“But to be honest, the first stint wasn’t great. I struggled quite a lot on the mediums and it just wasn’t very easy.
“As soon as we put on the hard, I felt a lot better, and it was a lot nicer to drive. I think generally, the pace was quite a chunk better.”
Lindblad attributed his struggles to a lack acclimatisation, only augmented by his curtailed track time so far.
“We just need to look in and understand what I could have done better, what things we could have done a bit better as a team,” he added.
“In the end, there’s still a lot to learn on my side. Obviously, it’s another weekend where I’ve missed important mileage, which is a bit of a shame, but it is what it is.”
Arvid Lindblad is “enjoying” F1 despite tough start to rookie campaign
Even though Lindblad hasn’t been able to make any sort of impact on the drivers’ standings so far, his sparks of brilliance have been undeniable.
Looking back at the Miami GP, Lindblad revealed how he has been soaking up all the mileage he can, before the Canadian GP, to get right back up to speed.
In the end, these niggles haven’t demotivated the 18-year-old as he asserts that he’s been enjoying F1 so far.
“In the first 20 laps, I learnt a massive amount,” Lindblad explained.
“Even if you say I started the race from lap 20 today, it would have made a big difference. It is what it is in the end. We’re all trying our best, and it hopefully won’t happen again in Canada.
“I don’t really see it as frustrating. Me moaning about it isn’t gong to make a difference. It is what it is. It’s a challenge, but I enjoy the challenge.
“I’ve enjoyed a lot the first couple of races, and I’m enjoying driving the car at the moment.”
The race weekend at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is up next for Lindblad, with the Briton in for yet another fast-tracked weekend with Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint Race in the books.
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