Arvid Lindblad aquaplanes in wet Suzuka Pirelli tire test

Arvid Lindblad aquaplaned into the barriers during a wet Pirelli tire test at Suzuka, sustained frontal damage, and escaped serious injury. Red Bull and sister team Racing Bulls focused on rain-tire work, with Isack Hadjar the only Red Bull driver on track.

The incident came when Lindblad’s Racing Bulls car hit standing water and slid straight on. Images and video from the scene showed a detached front wing and damage to the nose. Marshals removed the car, and the impact was not heavy. Lindblad was reported okay.

Pirelli’s two-day program at Suzuka centered on wet running. The track was soaked through large parts of the day, and spray hung over the racing line. Slippery conditions and persistent rain limited morning mileage and forced teams to time their outings between heavier showers. Footage from the test showed a drenched circuit and slow, careful installation laps.

Hadjar handled all duties for Red Bull in the RB22 across the test. Racing Bulls split its work between Liam Lawson and Lindblad. Max Verstappen did not take part. Rumors that Yuki Tsunoda would drive did not come true, leaving the three young drivers to cover the plan.

Red Bull and Racing Bulls concentrated on tire behavior on a wet surface rather than headline pace. Runs stretched over varying fuel loads and short stints to help Pirelli log data on warm-up, grip, and wear in heavy water. Crews cycled through setup tweaks to find consistent balance on the soaked track. The priority was clear lap feedback as the rain moved in and out.

The test followed a mixed weekend at Suzuka for Red Bull’s wider pool of drivers. Hadjar had been the best-placed Red Bull-powered car in Japanese Grand Prix qualifying with eighth on the grid. He did not score points in the race. The wet tire test offered a fresh task, far from race strategy or engine modes, as teams gathered information for future wet events.

Running continued into the next day as the weather stayed unstable. Gaps in the rain allowed short sequences, but the surface stayed green and low on grip. Engineers focused on repeatable procedures so Pirelli could compare data across stints and drivers. The goal was to build a larger base of wet-weather information for future compound choices and construction updates.

Lindblad’s off was the only noted stoppage for Racing Bulls during the session. The car suffered front-end damage consistent with a low-speed hit. There was no sign of injury, and the team inspected the chassis before resuming its plan. Lawson completed steady laps when conditions allowed, helping balance the mileage lost to the barrier contact.

Hadjar’s role as the sole Red Bull representative underscored the team’s approach to this test. A single driver offered a clean read on tire behavior without the noise of changing driving styles. As the championship break continued, the program gave Red Bull and Racing Bulls track time to refine procedures for heavy rain, including out-lap prep, brake blanking choices, and visibility management in spray.

By the close of running, the session had produced what Pirelli sought most in Japan this week: wet laps on a demanding circuit. Suzuka’s long corners and fast transitions exposed how the rain tires coped with load and standing water. The teams left with data sets from a wide range of conditions, while Lindblad walked away unharmed after his aquaplane into the barriers.