Arvid Lindblad: The rookie teen sensation shaped by India who’s chasing his F1 dream

Arvid Lindblad smiles as he studies his racing helmet.

For Formula One ’s latest generational talent, this isn’t just another helmet on another race weekend: This one is personal.

The teen Racing Bulls driver will take to the iconic Interlagos circuit in São Paulo this weekend donning a custom-designed Diwali lid to celebrate the festival of lights which this year happens to fall on race day.

Born in the UK to a Swedish father and a mother of Punjabi roots, he races under a British license but carries all three flags on his helmet – the Union Jack, the Swedish flag and the Indian tricolor.

“It’s an interesting mix … quite a rare one, but all three have played a big role in who I am and the way I was raised,” he tells CNN Sports at the team’s factory in Milton Keynes, England.

“I’m very proud to represent India, it’s a part of who I am so to bring part of India back to F1 for me is, is very cool.

“If maybe that can help inspire some young people, I think for me that would be amazing.”

Lindblad’s rise up the motorsports ladder has been nothing short of rapid.

After a grounding in competitive karting, one of the hottest prospects in the sport moved to single seaters in 2022 and hasn’t looked back.

He progressed from Formula Three to Formula Two and then Formula One in consecutive years.

As he lined up at the season opening Grand Prix in Australia earlier this year, he did so not only as the sole rookie on the grid but just the third driver of Indian origin to race in F1, following in the footsteps of Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan.

Gongora/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The further he’s risen in the sport, the more he’s come to embrace his Indian heritage, driven by his close bond with his grandparents from his mother’s side.

They moved from Delhi to the United Kingdom to start a new life following the 1947 partition.

“They were very young, so they lost everything and had to work incredibly hard as doctors,” he explains.

It’s that grit and determination – also instilled in him by his parents – that he credits with keeping him grounded and taking him to the very top of the sport.

“I’ve been so confident from an early age to sort of chase my dreams because I’ve seen what they did, and I think for me I wasn’t afraid of saying when I was five that I wanted to be in Formula One and chasing that,” he says.

“I’m very aware that I’m very fortunate to do this sport. Unfortunately, it’s not accessible to everyone. I would prefer if it was because I think then the level would be higher.”

Lindblad recalls how his grandparents would attend his races as a seven-year-old go-karter in northern England, providing Indian food and support, and how during his family’s Diwali celebrations he and his nani (maternal grandmother) would make Rangolis and cook traditional dishes.

“From an early age, I’ve just been exposed to the sort of Indian customs and traditions, and it just feels very much like home to me and the normal,” he says.

Courtesy Lindblad Family

And it’ll be a full circle moment this weekend as his grandparents will be in attendance to witness their grandson in an F1 car for the very first time.

Lindblad too hopes that one day they’ll get the chance to see him compete on Indian soil.

The last time an F1 race was held in the country was back in 2013.

“Going back, it would be a like a second home race which obviously would be very special,” he explains.

“They would never had imagined their grandson would be in Formula One but even more so be driving on at the Buddh International Circuit itself, so I think it would be very cool.”

The 19-year-old will once again line up on a grid featuring seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

He says that it’s partly due to his own multicultural background that he came to idolize the Brit more than any other driver as he took his first forays into the sport.

“He was the only one of color, so I related to him,” he tells CNN Sports.

“I thought it was cool that his rookie year (2007) was the year I was born, so he was the one who I sort of looked up to the most growing up.”

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

While Lindblad is proud of his roots and aware of the increasing attention that comes as a burgeoning role model, his immediate focus is on racing.

“I’m going be honest almost all the focus is basically on the driving,” admits the driver.

“For one, I’m still very young. I haven’t really got the awareness of the world and knowledge of life to be able to try to vouch for being a role model.

“I don’t think I’m at that stage yet and there’s a lot for me to learn on the driving side.

“When I’m older and I understand more, I think it is important that I use that platform for the right reasons.”

With four races remaining on the 2026 calendar, Racing Bulls has yet to confirm its driver line-up for next year.

Despite his relative inexperience, Lindblad has impressed in his debut season.

He finished eighth in his maiden race in Australia, becoming the third-youngest points scorer in the sport’s history, referring to it as a “pinch me moment … you sometimes get a bit carried away by the weight of what’s really happening.”

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

A sixth-place finish on the streets of Monaco is his highest to date.

While there have been mistakes, he’s taken the sport in stride and says the best is yet to come.

“I’ve been very well prepared through the Red Bull program. There’s obviously been a lot for me to learn,” he reflects.

“I’ve been pushed very hard, I’ve come very quickly through the ranks.

“I wanted it so badly that I struggled to envision a future where I wasn’t in Formula One.

“It’s been a dream being in Formula One … Overall, it’s been very positive, and I can look back very happy on the first year.”

阿维德·林德布拉德一边仔细端详着他的赛车头盔，一边露出了笑容。

对于一级方程式赛车最新一代的天才车手来说，这不仅仅是又一个比赛周末的又一个头盔：这次意义非凡。

这位效力于 Racing Bulls 车队的青少年车手本周末将登上圣保罗标志性的英特拉格斯赛道，他将戴着一顶定制设计的排灯节帽子来庆祝这个灯节，而今年的排灯节恰好与比赛日重合。

他出生于英国，父亲是瑞典人，母亲是旁遮普人。他持有英国赛车执照参赛，但头盔上却印有英国国旗、瑞典国旗和印度国旗。

“这是一个有趣的组合……相当罕见，但这三个人都对我的人格塑造和成长方式产生了很大的影响，”他在英格兰米尔顿凯恩斯的球队工厂告诉 CNN 体育频道。

“我非常自豪能够代表印度，这是我身份认同的一部分，所以能够把印度的一部分带回F1对我来说非常酷。”

“如果这能激励一些年轻人，我觉得那对我来说将是件很棒的事。”

林德布拉德在赛车运动领域的崛起速度可谓迅猛。

在卡丁车比赛中打下坚实基础后，这项运动中最炙手可热的新星之一于 2022 年转战单座赛车，并且一路高歌猛进。

他连续几年从三级方程式赛车晋升到二级方程式赛车，然后又晋升到一级方程式赛车。

今年早些时候，当他出现在澳大利亚赛季揭幕战大奖赛的起跑线上时，他不仅是赛道上唯一的菜鸟车手，而且还是继卡伦·查德霍克和纳拉因·卡蒂凯扬之后，第三位参加F1比赛的印度裔车手。

Gongora/NurPhoto/Getty Images

随着他在体育事业上取得更大的成就，他越来越认同自己的印度传统，这源于他与母亲一方的祖父母之间亲密的感情。

1947 年印巴分治后，他们从德里移居英国，开始新的生活。

“他们当时非常年轻，所以失去了一切，不得不非常努力地当医生，”他解释说。

正是这种坚韧不拔的精神——也是他的父母从小灌输给他的——让他保持脚踏实地，并最终登上了这项运动的顶峰。

“我从小就很有自信去追逐我的梦想，因为我看到了他们所取得的成就，我想对我来说，我并不害怕在五岁的时候就说我想进入一级方程式赛车，并为此而努力，”他说。

“我很清楚自己能从事这项运动是多么幸运。可惜的是，这项运动并非人人都能参与。我希望人人都能参与，因为我认为那样一来，这项运动的水平就会更高。”

林德布拉德回忆起，在他七岁时，他的祖父母会到英格兰北部观看他参加卡丁车比赛，并提供印度食物和支持；他还回忆起，在他家庆祝排灯节期间，他和他的外祖母会制作蓝果丽图案并烹饪传统菜肴。

“从小我就接触到各种印度风俗和传统，这对我来说感觉就像家一样，很正常，”他说。

图片由林德布拉德家族提供

本周末，这将是一个意义非凡的时刻，他的祖父母将亲眼见证他们的孙子第一次驾驶F1赛车。

林德布拉德也希望有一天他们有机会在印度的土地上看到他比赛。

该国上一次举办F1比赛还是在2013年。

“回去比赛就像是回到第二个家一样，这显然会非常特别，”他解释说。

“他们做梦也想不到自己的孙子会参加一级方程式赛车，更没想到他会在佛陀国际赛道上驰骋，我觉得这太酷了。”

这位 19 岁的车手将再次与七届世界冠军刘易斯·汉密尔顿同场竞技。

他表示，部分原因是由于他自身的多元文化背景，在他初涉赛车运动时，他比其他任何车手都更崇拜这位英国车手。

“他是场上唯一的有色人种，所以我跟他很有共鸣，”他告诉 CNN 体育频道。

“我觉得很酷的是，他的新秀赛季（2007 年）正好是我出生的年份，所以他是我成长过程中最崇拜的人。”

布林·伦农/盖蒂图片社

林德布拉德为自己的出身感到自豪，也意识到自己作为一位冉冉升起的榜样人物所受到的关注，但他眼下的重心仍然是赛车。

“说实话，我几乎所有的注意力都集中在驾驶上了，”这位司机坦言道。

“首先，我还很年轻。我对世界的认知和人生阅历还不够丰富，无法证明自己有资格成为榜样。”

“我觉得我还没达到那个阶段，在驾驶方面我还有很多东西要学习。”

“等我年纪大了，懂得更多了，我觉得我必须利用这个平台去做正确的事情。”

2026 年赛程还剩下四场比赛，Racing Bulls 车队尚未确认明年的车手阵容。

尽管林德布拉德经验相对不足，但他在首个赛季的表现令人印象深刻。

他在澳大利亚的首场比赛中获得第八名，成为这项运动历史上第三年轻的积分获得者，他称之为“难以置信的时刻……你有时会被正在发生的事情的分量冲昏头脑”。

克里斯·格雷森/盖蒂图片社

在摩纳哥街道赛中获得第六名是他迄今为止取得的最好成绩。

虽然他犯过一些错误，但他对这项运动泰然处之，并表示最好的还在后头。

“通过红牛的训练计划，我得到了非常充分的准备。显然，我还有很多东西需要学习，”他说道。

“我受到了很大的压力，晋升速度非常快。”

“我太渴望进入一级方程式赛车了，以至于我很难想象没有一级方程式赛车的未来。”

“能够参加一级方程式赛车一直是我的梦想……总的来说，一切都非常顺利，我对第一年的表现非常满意。”