Arvid Lindblad: “What my family went through influenced the way I am. My mental strength? That’s how my brain is made. I’ve seen the world like this since I was eight years old”
It is the great Red Bull’s future bet. For years, many have said that it is “the new Max Verstappen”another pearl that he recruited Helmut Marko for Red Bull and that F1 has reached this year with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team.
However to Arvid Lindblad (August 8, 2007, Surrey) The pressure and expectations have not weighed on him and he has now scored eight races out of the last nine, with remarkable consistency and demonstrating his mental strength, such as in Madring, where he quickly recovered to perform at his best after suffering an accident against the wall.
He British now 19 years olddebuted this year in F1 at the age of 18 years and 6 months and in his first race he became the third youngest driver to score points. It keeps its feet on the ground, in large part, because of its magnificent family environment, with a crucial example of work and effort.
His maternal grandparents lived through the Partition of India 1947 and had to flee their country (now Pakistan) to start a new life as doctors in the United Kingdom. His father, Stefan, grew up in a working-class environment in a modest town in Sweden. and he had to help his family starting to work at the age of 11 cleaning toilets and delivering newspapers at dawn.
Then, Stefan Lindblad and his wife, Anita Ahujawere successful in the financial sector and were able to give a life full of comforts to Arvid. However, the Racing Bulls driver keeps this story of sacrifice in mind, as highlighted in a relaxed chat with MD in which his maturity impresses us at all times. With him we began an introspective journey to learn about that mental strength that shines so much despite his youth.
Question: Alan Permane (Racing Bulls boss) said that you don’t look like a 19-year-old driver, but much more mature.
Answer: I think I’ve always been a pretty mature person. In all sports you are forced to mature earlier, because you are away from home many weekends with your coaches. Since I was little I have been forced to mature, and that has helped me. I think I just take things naturally. I focus on driving and I enjoy it. Of course, the Red Bull junior program, which has allowed me to get to know this world for years, has also helped. But I don’t know. In the end, I simply get in the car and do my best.
Your father started working when he was 11 cleaning toilets. How has that influenced you as a person?
It is very important to me and I am very proud of my family, my roots, where I come from and the work ethic they have always had. I try not to get too carried away. I am sure that what my family went through has influenced my way of being, my maturity and many things. But I really don’t know how or how much.
I am very proud of my family, my roots, where I come from and the work ethic they have always had. I try not to get too carried away. I am sure that what my family went through has influenced the way I am.
Do you think that winning in F1 in the future could change your personality?
It’s hard not to. But I also think that it’s important to have good people around you who keep you grounded, no matter what. So yes, I think it could change, but for me it’s important not to change too much and to keep remembering where I come from, my family and all the work we’ve had to do. I hope I don’t change too much.
F1 could change me, but for me it is important not to change too much and to continue remembering where I come from, my family and all the work we have had to do. I hope I don’t change too much
I read that in your first meeting to enter the Red Bull program, with Helmut Marko, instead of letting your father take charge of that meeting, you spoke to him alone, when you were 12 years old. How was it?
It was cool. Yes, at 12 or 13 years old.
Incredible…
The truth is that I didn’t care too much (the age difference). Obviously I have enormous respect for him and for everything he has done to advance drivers like Verstappen and Vettel. It was a true honor and privilege to be part of the Red Bull programme. But at the same time, I knew he was meeting me because he believed in me. And obviously the hope when you enter the Red Bull program is to go all the way up the ladder to F1. So I just saw it as a confidence boost. Yes, I was excited to meet him. Like everyone, you get a little nervous, but in the end we are all human. We had a nice conversation.
I met Helmut Marko when I was 12 or 13 years old. I had enormous respect for him and it was an honor, but I knew he was meeting with me because he believed in me.
Don’t you feel nervous? And in the car?
No, in the car even less so. Sometimes outside the car we can get a little shy, but I’m a little weird. Almost with the most important people or the biggest drivers I am less shy. I don’t know why, because of how my brain works. I think that, honestly, it is because, with the races, my schooling was not exactly the most normal. Since I was little I have been surrounded by men of 30 or 40 years old. I’m almost more comfortable talking to older, more experienced, and more mature people than people my age, which is a little weird because normally people are very intimidated by these types of people. But I feel like I’ve been in that world for quite some time. So it doesn’t affect me too much.
And in the car I never really get nervous, to be honest. Yes, you have adrenaline and that expectation because you want to do well, but I never feel pressure from others. Because, in the end, this is my dream, something I’ve wanted since I was five years old: to race in Formula 1. So I just enjoy every time I’m there.
With racing, my schooling was not exactly the most normal. Since I was little I have been surrounded by men in their 30s and 40s (in races). I’m almost more comfortable talking to older, more experienced, and more mature people than people my age, which is a little weird.
How do you work on mental strength? Have you had a coach since you were little?
No, I’ve never really had a coach. It’s just the way my brain is wired. You know, some people are just like that… I don’t know. I don’t know if it was because of how I was raised or what. I do have a sports psychologist that I speak to, although I don’t use him too much and, in fact, I’ve only had one this year. I’ve never really had specific mental training. Many of these philosophies and such have simply been part of the way I see the world since I was eight years old.
It’s just the way my brain is wired. I have never had specific mental training. Many of these philosophies have been part of my way of seeing the world since I was eight years old.
I heard that you never doubted that you would become an F1 driver. Never?
No
Because?
Don’t know. I guess I always believed that very much. Since I was little I wanted it to happen with all my might and I really enjoyed being in the car. There was a part of me that always knew it was going to happen. I could never imagine a future where I wasn’t an F1 driver. So I don’t know if you want to call it some kind of visualization or manifestation, I don’t know. But yeah, I don’t know why, I just couldn’t imagine it any other way. And the only thing I focused on was myself, on getting better and better so I would be ready when the time came.
In the end, I just focus on myself. I have a lot of respect for Max and everything he has done in this sport, and the level at which he continues to perform. So I try to learn from my mistakes, learn what I can do better, but also learn from others if they are doing something better than me. But I wouldn’t say I get too carried away by the frustrations of this or that. I just focus on myself and try to improve a little bit every day.
Permane told me that the most difficult thing when a young driver comes to F1 is that from day one they already want to be Max Verstappen and you have to manage their frustration and that whole improvement process. What is it like in your case?
In the end, I just focus on myself. I have a lot of respect for Max and everything he has done in this sport, and the level at which he continues to perform. So I try to learn from my mistakes, learn what I can do better, but also learn from others if they are doing something better than me. But I wouldn’t say I get too carried away by the frustrations of this or that. I just focus on myself and try to improve a little bit every day.
Which driver do you focus on the most to improve? For example, you say: ‘I see Fernando and I can learn this from him…’
Fernando is a little before my time. I mean… he won both of his world championships before I was even born. So I couldn’t see the Fernando of that time. When I was growing up, I always looked a lot at Lewis Hamilton. He was more my idol. He was the pilot I admired. But right now, the drivers I respect the most are Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. For me, the level at which they perform is really good. And also Kimi Antonelli this year has been very impressive.
Alonso won both of his championships before I was even born. When I was growing up, I always looked a lot at Lewis Hamilton. He was more my idol. But right now, the drivers I respect the most are Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc
What do you have to improve to be at the level of Max and Charles?
It’s hard to point out just one thing because it’s more complicated than just driving. It’s in the details. There are various little techniques that Max can do better at, certain things he handles better, certain situations he solves better. So I think it’s hard to point out just one. But the reality is, since this is all so new to me, there are a lot of things to work on. I’m still very early in my career. But he’s the one I look at the most in terms of driving, and also in terms of race management, tire management, strategy and all those things.
Any advice for young people? Don’t make excuses. Many people make excuses. Always look at what you can do better, how you can handle certain situations in a better way and enjoy the journey.
What advice would you give to a young driver who is starting out in karting and dreams of reaching Formula 1? Because it is a difficult and very expensive world.
Yes, I think, as a driver, in the end you can’t think about money. That’s something your parents have to manage. You have to focus on yourself and driving. I think for me, no matter what, you always have to make sure you enjoy it. Enjoy the journey, because it goes by very quickly. And I know for myself: sometimes when you’re in the moment, you’re so focused on the results that you forget to enjoy yourself. But it is something very special, so try to enjoy the journey no matter what. And then, if you have a goal and want to get to Formula 1, you have to pursue your dream and give it your all. Don’t make excuses. Always look at yourself first. I think a lot of people make excuses. Always look at what you can do better, how you can handle certain situations in a better way, and enjoy the journey.
So enjoy and pursue your dreams. Thank you so much.
Yes, thank you very much.
