'Pretty nuts' to be in podium fight early on debut - Lindblad

Arvid Lindblad admits it was “pretty nuts” to be fighting for third place early in the Australian Grand Prix as he became Formula 1’s third-youngest points scorer.

Lindblad made a strong start to jump from ninth on the grid to run third after overtaking Isack Hadjar on the opening lap of the race, before Lewis Hamilton soon made his way through. Holding off Lando Norris for a number of laps and later fighting with Max Verstappen, Lindblad says his debut race will live long in the memory.

“It feels very special,” Lindblad said. “I wasn't expecting this result. I think points on debut is really good, especially from where we were in Bahrain. So big thanks to the team and RBPT and Ford for the work they've done. I'm also very proud of myself. I don't think I've really made any mistakes this weekend. I think I've maximised the car in almost every session.

“I don't think saying just points on debut really summarizes that race. I think I was P3 at one point on Lap 1, which is pretty nuts to think about. So, sharing the track, battling with Lewis, Max, Lando and all these guys, it's very special. I was having a lot of fun out there.”

Lindblad was also full of praise for how competitive the Red Bull Ford power unit has been to start the season, although he says it’s too early to judge if Racing Bulls can fight for points on a regular basis in 2026.

“I think it's been a surprise for I and the team,” he said. “They've done an amazing job. They've got a really good upgrade this weekend. RBPT and Ford have done a phenomenal job. I don't think people have really touched on that.

“In the end, Red Bull has made a new engine, and not only is it reliable, it's performing, arguably one of the best on the grid, and it's extremely efficient for us. I think only Red Bull would look to do a project like this, and I think it's extremely impressive what they've done. It's pretty cool to see how competitive we have been.

“[Melbourne] is very unique with its energy demands. I think that's going to be much more of a thing this year than it has been in the past. Because of the new engine, every track has different characteristics, which I think will expose different weaknesses or strengths of the power unit.

“I think there will be much more fluctuation between the teams each weekend. There's no point speculating. I'm just going to now try and enjoy the moment, look with the team to see what I could have done better, and then focus on China.”