“Winning championships is the way to move forward” says Arvid Lindblad

At some point in their life, each petrolhead or car enthusiast has always dreamed of making it big in the field of motorsport. All of us think that we will be able to handle that heady cocktail of speed, glamour and competition that comes with the sport. But with the passage of time, many realise that the dream of making it big in motorsport is easier said than done. But if you are talented and have made it up in your mind to nurture that talent from early on, you may very well be on that journey from being a rookie to being a name to watch out for in Formula 1. Arvid Lindblad is one such example.

Currently racing in Formula 2, Lindblad is the youngest driver ever to win a Formula 2 race, and by his own admission, his goal is to be in Formula 1 and to be a world champion. The Briton, who has a Swedish father and a mother of Indian origin, explains that his grandfather had always been an avid motorsport fan, and the passion was passed down to his father too. “I fell in love with the sport when I was like four or five years old, sitting on the sofa with my dad at home, watching Formula 1 (races). And I remember asking him and thinking to myself that I want to be there one day and how do I get there,” says Lindblad. “From the moment I started, it was not about really having fun. It was about trying to get to Formula 1 and from a very early age it became quite serious,” Lindblad said.

Like most drivers, Lindblad began his journey with karting and he made his debut in Formula 4 in the year 2022. However, the turning point in Lindblad’s motorsport career was joining the Red Bull Junior Team in 2021. He has now been part of the programme for five years, but Lindblad vividly recalls the phone call from Helmut Marko to his father as if it were yesterday. “I remember that we were in Portimao, testing for the World Championship, and we were sitting in the hotel having breakfast one morning. Apparently there had been discussions going on in the background with Red Bull that I wasn't really aware of for a few months. I remember us sitting at the table when the phone rang and it was a number on it that we didn't really recognise. But I saw the look on my father’s face when the phone rang and he had a bit of a skip in his step. He seemed very excited!” says Lindblad.

He went on to explain that prior to getting into the Red Bull programme, he wasn’t really thinking about long term goals or the big picture. “I was just focused on trying to win every race and trying to do well, because I believe that winning races and winning championships is the way to move forward.” Talking about the support offered from Red Bull, Lindblad says “I wouldn't be where I am without them. I think ‘Rocky’ (Guillaume Rocquelin) is very involved in the programme. He was Sebastian Vettel's race engineer when they won the World Championship. And he in particular, along with Dr. Marko has given me a lot of help and guidance.”

When we asked Lindblad if he is inspired by other drivers or their driving technique, Lindblad says, “Someone you could say who's influenced it indirectly is Oliver Rowland, because he's kind of been my mentor for a while. I talk with him a lot and he's obviously helped me to develop, so you could say that's made me adapt and improve my driving style.” Lindblad goes on to add that he has always looked up to Lewis Hamilton when growing up. “I thought it was quite cool that his first year in F1 was the year I was born. And being the only man of colour on the grid, I felt some collection to him there as well. Obviously he was fast too, so he was the one I looked up to for a long time.”

Lindblad’s pathway to Formula 1 depends on his performance in Formula 2 this year, but another factor that can potentially affect it is the availability of the seats on the grid. However, Lindblad dismisses the latter thought by saying, “I don't think of it like that. I guess my mindset would be that if I'm good enough and I perform well enough, you should give them (the teams) no choice.” As we bring our conversation to a close, Lindblad reiterates that, “I'm not thinking too far ahead in that regard, but I'm just focused on the performance. Because if I do my job and perform well this year, then that's what's going to give me the opportunity.” As of now, Lindblad is on the cusp of realising his childhood dream of being in Formula 1, and while he has always raced under the British flag, Lindblad’s debut in Formula 1 would mean that there might be a driver of Indian origin on the grid once again.