Arvid Lindblad has revealed why he tries to “sort of separate” high praise from other drivers ahead of his Formula 1 debut next week.
The 18-year-old will become F1’s fourth-youngest debutant at the Australian Grand Prix on March 8, and its the solitary rookie for the 2026 season, lining up at Racing Bulls alongside Liam Lawson.
Lindblad is well-placed to bed into F1, having risen through the ranks via Red Bull’s junior programme, and personally having the close ties with mentor, Formula E reigning World Champion, Oliver Rowland.
The association with Rowland has naturally seen Lindblad exposed to the all-electric championship, and also lives close to another of its champions – Jaguar’s Antonio Felix da Costa.
Speaking to Motorsport Week at the 24 Hours of Daytona, da Costa labelled Lindblad as “the real deal,” and joked that the teenager “kicked my ass” in go-kart races in the off-season.
In an exclusive interview with Motorsport Week, Lindblad was asked how such complimentary words from drivers of such a seismic stature sit with him, and if it is of any benefit, with his debut fast-approaching.
“I mean, it’s nice. I know Antonio quite well now and he’s a really nice guy and I’m lucky to, I think, call him a friend,” he said.
“But yeah, I mean, on his comments, it’s nice, but honestly, it’s not something I really think about too much because I think it’s quite easy if you think about it for too long that it goes through your head and then, yeah.”
“In the end, someone saying that about me is not going to actually make me go quicker. So, obviously, it’s nice and it’s a bit of a confidence booster, but I try to sort of separate that kind of stuff because that’s not going to make me go quicker and that’s the only thing that I’m interested in.”
READ MORE – Interview: How Arvid Lindblad ignored ‘ifs and buts’ to secure F1 seat
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