Formula 1 Rookie Arvid Lindblad Eyes Future in World Rally Championship

Formula 1Competition·Formula 1 rookie Arvid LindbladPlayer·Arvid Lindblad has signaled a potential future in the World Rally ChampionshipCompetition·World Rally Championship, describing his recent experience driving a WRC car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as "incredible." The 18-year-old Racing BullsTeam·Racing Bulls driver, currently in his debut F1 season, revealed his admiration for rallying and indicated a desire to pursue the discipline once his Formula 1Competition·Formula 1 commitments conclude.

Lindblad took to the challenging 3-kilometer (1.86-mile) forest gravel stage at Goodwood, a track originally designed by the late 1983 World Rally Champion Hannu MikkolaPlayer·Hannu Mikkola. He piloted an M-Sport-FordTeam·M-Sport-Ford Puma Rally1 car, first as a co-driver alongside M-Sport-FordTeam·M-Sport-Ford WRC star Jon ArmstrongPlayer·Jon Armstrong, before taking the wheel himself. The experience offered a stark contrast to his usual high-speed Formula 1Competition·Formula 1 environment.

"It was incredible, so thank you to Jon and the guys here for the opportunity, as it's the first time I've done anything like it," Lindblad stated during the Goodwood Festival of Speed live broadcast. He elaborated on the intensity of the experience, noting the significant difference from his Formula 1 comfort zone.

"We drive quite fast in Formula 1, and I wouldn't say I was scared, but I was very out of my comfort zone and very surprised. It was just incredible to experience it, it's so different to what we're used to, so just to get an insight into these guys. It's so different. It was a lot of fun."

Lindblad's interest in rallying has been growing, and the Goodwood outing solidified his long-term aspirations. "Rallying is something I've been learning more about and actually lately I've become a bigger fan of rallying, and it's something I'd like to potentially pursue one day after I'm done with my current endeavors," he added. He expressed profound respect for rally drivers, emphasizing that onboard camera footage does not fully convey the speed and proximity to obstacles.

"After trying it now for the first time, I have more and more admiration for what these guys do, because the cameras and the onboard footage don't actually show it. It's incredible, it's so fast and you're so close to the trees, it's fast and it's really impressive what these drivers do."

Jon ArmstrongPlayer·Jon Armstrong, who is competing in his first season in the top tier of the World Rally ChampionshipCompetition·World Rally Championship, enjoyed sharing his Puma with the young F1 talent. "I really enjoyed the opportunity to give Arvid a ride and it was nice to see how much he enjoyed the experience from a driving perspective," Armstrong commented. Armstrong is set to return to WRC action this week as the championship heads to Estonia for its first fast gravel rally of the season.

Lindblad made his Formula 1Competition·Formula 1 debut in the 2026 season with Racing BullsTeam·Racing Bulls, following a successful 2025 Formula 2 campaign where he became the youngest race winner at 17 years old. He currently holds 11th place in the Formula 1Competition·Formula 1 standings with 20 points. His exploration of rally racing highlights a rare cross-discipline curiosity among top-tier motorsport athletes, suggesting a diverse future for the young Briton.