Arvid Lindblad addresses the changes he felt while driving the upgraded Red Bull in his latest FP1 appearance (Exclusive)

Arvid Lindblad believes the RB21 has evolved significantly since his last outing in it during the Silverstone weekend. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda in Mexico, the Red Bull junior outlined the contrasting characteristics between his two F1 test experiences.

Finishing sixth fastest ahead of Yuki Tsunoda and just two-tenths behind Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, Lindblad impressed Red Bull with his pace, emerging as the quickest among the ten rookies participating in the session. Driving Max Verstappen’s RB21 for the second time, the 17-year-old once again caught the attention of Helmut Marko with his composed and confident performance.

Since his Silverstone debut, the RB21 has undergone several key upgrades, particularly the Monza package, which has improved its drivability and overall performance. In Mexico, Red Bull introduced a new floor to enhance their performance over the last five rounds on the calendar. Arvid Lindblad also noted that the Mexican circuit’s unique characteristics made this outing distinctly different from his first, offering him another valuable step in his F1 development.

Asked if the RB21 was different compared to his last outing in FP1, Arvid Lindblad said:

“A little bit. I mean, it is a bit different. Obviously, the team have made some upgrades in Silverstone and they've obviously made a bit of a step. So it feels a little bit different. But also, it's hard to know if some of that also comes from the track. It's very different characteristics to Silverstone as well. So it's hard to say.”

Lindblad also expressed his desire to end the F2 season on a strong note.

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Arvid Lindblad looks forward to ending the F2 season with a strong result

Arvid Lindblad is aiming to end his rookie Formula 2 season on a high after what has been a challenging campaign. Currently seventh in the standings with Campos Racing, the 17-year-old acknowledged the steep learning curve of the championship. Lindblad believes that the jump from F2 to F1 is a major one, comparable to the leap from Formula 4 to F2, highlighting the performance gap between the two categories.

He noted that despite the use of ground effect, F2 cars are at least 13 seconds slower than their F1 counterparts. The Red Bull junior and reserve driver also explained that F2 cars are far more demanding to drive, particularly in qualifying, and managing their tires remains one of the biggest challenges for rookies.

Asked how he wished to round off his 2025 season, Arvid Lindblad replied:

“I'm looking forward to trying to finish the year strong. In my opinion, I think it's not been the best year. I'm not really happy with how it's gone. I'm just keen to get a last shot at trying to finish the year strong and hopefully get some good points and hopefully win on the board.”

Asked if there were more challenges involved in the F2 championship that are not evident from the outset, he explained:

“F2 is a really difficult championship. Just because of the nature of the format; you only have a couple of laps in free practice on a hard [tire] when the track’s really dusty and dirty. And then you go to quali on a compound that’s two seconds quicker, the track’s a second quicker and you’ve got three laps to figure it out. Trying to go three or four seconds quicker four hours later is not easy, so yeah, it’s a difficult championship. The car as well is not easy to drive. It's ground effect. After driving the F1 today, it's not as nice.”

Asked if the jump from F2 to F1 was significant, Arvid Lindblad added:

“I think F2 is on average 13 seconds slower than F1, which if you were to do the same step, that's the step between F4 and F2. So it's too big of a step.”

Arvid Lindblad is widely speculated to be promoted to Racing Bulls for the 2026 Formula 1 season. While Red Bull is expected to confirm the decision by the end of the year, paddock chatter suggests an announcement could come as early as the Abu Dhabi GP.

Speaking to Sportskeeda outside the Red Bull garage, the British-born driver was congratulated by several engineers and mechanics for his strong performance. With the final two rounds of the Formula 2 season taking place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi alongside the F1 weekends, the 17-year-old is eager to finish his campaign on a high before making the anticipated step up to Formula 1.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar