The father started working when he was 11 cleaning toilets and the son is an F1 driver: “My family history is very important to me. I am very proud of my roots and the work ethic they have always had. I try not to get carried away too much”

Everybody talks about Kimi Antonellibrand new F1 world champion, the youngest in history, having won the title at just 20 years old more than a week ago. But on the grill F1 There are more young people who are called to be great future rivals of the Italian, as in the case of Arvid Lindblad (8 August 2007)).

The British pilot, of Swedish and Indian descent, faced this year his debut season in Formula 1 at only 18 years and six months (he is now 19), and it is one of the great hopes for the future of Red Bull along with other talents such as Isaac Hadjarthe resurgent Liam Lawson or the pilot of Formula 2 Nikola Tsolov. They have all gone through a young driver program that puts great pressure on their talents. If you don’t achieve results, it is difficult to continue in it. And that is also perceived in the way these kids are.

A clear example of them is the ‘rebirth’ of Lawson. From being fired from Red Bull and relegated back to RB with only two races in the first team last year, to shining with his own light this season with very good results at the wheel of a Racing Bulls car with very good performance in the middle zone.

But you also perceive that maturity when talking face to face with a 19-year-old kid like Arvidto which not only the academy of Red Bull It has made him mentally strong. Also your family history. Knowing his origins and the difficulties his grandparents and parents went through helped him become the person and pilot he is today.

It’s only his first year in F1 and his explosion of talent has not yet arrived. For example, the current world champion, Kimi Antonelli, suffered a lot in his first year and in his second season he is different.

But from the beginning, he made it clear that the pressure of debuting in the premier class was not with him. I just wanted to enjoy and perform.

And in that sense, the example of work and effort of his family must continue to drive him. That example gave him much of the maturity he shows now, at the beginning of his F1 career. The same one that surprises when you listen to Kimi or you see them perform. Young boys, with a very powerful mind, much more mature than the rest of the kids their age. And he talked about it Arvid Lindblad a few months ago with Mundo Deportivo.

A tough family history

His maternal grandparents lived through the Partition of India in 1947 and had to leave their country (now Pakistan). They lost everything. They had to start from scratch and start a new life as doctors in the United Kingdom. And his father’s story is inspiring. Stefan grew up in a working-class environment in a town in Sweden. As Lindblad told this year on ‘Motorsport.com’, At only 11 years old, his father had to help his family with two jobs at the same time: cleaning toilets and delivering newspapers at dawn.

Years later, Stefan Lindblad and his wife, Anita Ahuja, changed their lives thanks to the success they had in the financial sector. This allowed them to offer a very different life to their son Arvid, who spoke of that example and his mental strength with Mundo Deportivo.

“My family’s history is very important to me. 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 me in my way of being, in my maturity and in many things. But I really don’t know how or how much,” commented the Racing Bulls driver.

One of the keys for pilots: a good environment

When MD asked him if possible future successes could change him as a person, he was clear: “I think 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.”

And Arvid has what he needs around him. As with Kimi, Lindblad has a key environment for this highly competitive world. In fact, at the beginning of the year, Racing Bulls Team Principal, Alan Permanehighlighted this same point in Sports World.

“This is his first year and he is still learning a lot. But, in addition to being fast, he is very curious. He is constantly asking questions. I wouldn’t say that he is demanding with people, but he does make it clear that he wants to know what they do, how they do it and how he can help the team be faster. He is always asking questions,” said Permane.

“And to this we must add that he analyzes himself a lot. He always asks himself: ‘What can I do better?’. In addition, he has a great team around him: a physiotherapist, a representative and his parents. They form a very united group. He works very closely with Oliver Rowland (his mentor), from Formula E, who has also worked in Formula 1. He trusts him a lot and they have been together for a long time. And he also has a physical trainer in whom he fully trusts. I think that is very important for a driver, not only for the physical aspect, but also for the mental aspect,” Permane highlighted.

“When things get tough, you need someone to talk to. And then there are their parents. They don’t come to all races, but they do come to most of them. Having that environment is very positive,” he added.

And apart from his pure speed, his curiosity and desire to learn and the people around him, Arvid has something fundamental: an iron mind and great confidence in what he does.

So much so that he never doubted that he would reach F1. And in his debut year, he assures that he has not felt nervous. Neither outside nor inside the car. They simply don’t affect you.

“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.”pointed out to this newspaper.

It came as standard

And when asked how he managed to have that mental strength, Arvid did not hesitate: it comes as standard.

“I’ve never really had a ‘coach’. It’s just the way my brain is configured. 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 talk to, although I don’t use him too much and, in fact, I’ve only had one this year,” he told this newspaper.

“I’ve never really had any specific mental training. A lot of these philosophies and so on have just been part of the way I see the world since I was eight years old.”he commented. He acknowledged that perhaps it was because of how he was raised. What he saw at home. The effort and work culture that you always saw at home. The history he knew from his parents and grandparents. Therefore, he wants to keep his feet on the ground and focuses on himself, on what he can continue to improve.

For now, He debuted in F1 this year and became the third youngest driver in history to score points. He accumulated 10 races scoring out of 11 from the sixth event of the year to the 16th, in Bahrain. Now, he has four races without doing so. But it is just a blip. If anyone thinks that this is going to affect him, they are very wrong. He has everything necessary to learn and continue progressing.