Arvid Lindblad scores again with P10 points finish in Malaysia after starting last

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Arvid Lindblad described his P10 finish in the F1 Grand Prix in Malaysia as “more than we could have ever imagined,” after the Racing Bulls driver began Sunday’s 55-lap race at the Sepang International Circuit from P22, the last row, following grid penalties linked to new engine components. Speaking after the Bahrain Grand Prix event was staged in Malaysia, Lindblad said being in the points from last on the grid was beyond what he expected for his rookie season.

Lindblad’s climb began early when he started on intermediate tyres as the track remained wet. He moved forward through the field soon after the start, taking advantage of the fact that other drivers who opted for slick tyres struggled as conditions continued to affect grip.

The points result was reinforced by developments later in the race. A late retirement for Mercedes’ George Russell removed one challenger for position, while an off-track excursion for McLaren’s Lando Norris behind the Safety Car further reshuffled the running order. With those incidents occurring near the end, Lindblad maintained his position to secure his fourth consecutive points finish.

Lindblad also credited others for the performance while acknowledging shortcomings in his own driving. “It’s probably the busiest day of my F1 career and the outcome is pretty amazing,” he said. He added that while there was “some good stuff,” he was “not that happy with my own performance,” pointing to a segment in the middle of the race where he felt “too slow,” as well as a need to understand why he appeared “a little bit weaker” in long-run pace compared with short runs throughout the year.

For Racing Bulls, the result came alongside another strong points return as Liam Lawson finished seventh. Lawson even battled eventual race winner Max Verstappen for third on the opening lap after a launch from P11 off the grid, underlining a strong start to the race for the team.

The outcome moved Racing Bulls further clear in the Teams’ Championship fight for fifth place. Formula 1’s event report said Racing Bulls increased their advantage to 22 points over Alpine, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto failing to score in Malaysia. Lawson attributed the gap to the team’s strategy decisions for the start and said he delivered one of the best starts of his career, putting the car in position to capitalize for the rest of the race.

Reflecting on the team’s weekend, Lawson said the strategy enabled Racing Bulls to “out-score” Alpine despite the suggestion that the rival squad had been faster in both weekends. “I think that’s really been on good decision making today on the strategy for the start,” he said, emphasizing how the opening phase shaped the final points haul for the squad.