Racing
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After six races of his 2026 rookie Formula 1 season, Arvid Lindblad says repeated technical problems at Racing Bulls have badly limited his running in China, Japan and Miami, cutting into the mileage he needs most as a newcomer.
That has turned a promising start into a stalled opening phase. The 18-year-old Briton finished eighth on his debut in Australia, but he has not scored since Melbourne, and the lack of track time is now showing in the results. In the two races where both Racing Bulls drivers have reached the flag together, Lindblad has finished behind team-mate Liam Lawson.
Miami became the clearest example of the pattern. Lindblad missed a Sprint race for the second time this season because of car problems, leaving him underprepared for the rest of the weekend. Speaking after the event, Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad said: “We knew going into it, it wasn’t going to be easy, just from being down on mileage from missing the Sprint.”
He said the damage was not only to the result but to the speed of his learning. “In the first 20 laps, I learnt a massive amount,” Lindblad said. “Even if you say I started the race from lap 20 today, it would have made a big difference.”
Lindblad has not tried to hide behind the setbacks. “In the end, there’s still a lot to learn on my side,” he said. “Obviously, it’s another weekend where I’ve missed important mileage, which is a bit of a shame, but it is what it is.”
That matters even more heading to Canada. Montreal is another new circuit for Lindblad, and the next Sprint weekend will again compress his preparation time, with only one hour of free practice before Sprint qualifying. He said he is not dwelling on the disruption, adding: “Me moaning about it isn’t going to make a difference. It is what it is. It’s a challenge, but I enjoy the challenge,” but the repeated loss of running is already shaping both his early results and the pace of his development.