Arvid Lindblad reveals biggest surprise after one month in F1

Arvid Lindblad has described F1 as one of the “biggest five sports in the world” as he lifted the lid on his first month as a driver on the grid.

The 18-year-old Briton has impressed in the first three races of his rookie season, scoring points on his debut with an eighth-place finish at the season-opener in Australia.

Lindblad also qualified in the top-10 at the Japanese Grand Prix, with teammate Liam Lawson finishing in the points in Suzuka. Racing Bulls are just two points behind the group’s senior team in Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.

F1’s popularity has boomed in recent years, with more races than ever before and more record-breaking grand prix attendance records. Asked by The Independent what the biggest surprise has been, Lindblad admitted the scale of the sport stood out, as well as duties away from the racetrack.

“It’s probably just the amount of our job that isn’t driving, especially compared to other categories,” he said on Tuesday. “That’s the way the sport is going and that’s the way a lot of sports are going.

“There’s also an appreciation of how big the sport is. I’ve been in the F1 paddock on F2 and F3 weekends, but it’s just appreciating how many fans are there.

“How big is the sport? I would say one of the top five sports in the world. So that’s pretty cool to be a part of.”

Lindblad, as opposed to many drivers on the grid, also moved to downplay criticisms of the new regulations.

“I haven’t found the cars that bad at the moment,” he added. “There are some things on the PU [power unit] side which are not the easiest.

“On one side, I do quite enjoy the challenge of having something new and different to deal with. It’s another element where you can make a difference. I also think the cars are actually quite nice to drive.

“They’re more nimble. There’s less errors, it’s easier to follow. They’re not stiff. There are pros and cons to it.”

F1 next goes racing at the Miami Grand Prix on 1-3 May.