Arvid Lindblad shares his expectations from the F1 Singapore GP on his first visit to the track
Arvid Lindblad believes the Singapore GP weekend could be challenging from a setup perspective due to the sprint format. Speaking to media, including Vision F1, the Racing Bulls driver praised the team’s efforts throughout the season to bring the right setups for each race weekend.
The Racing Bulls rookie has not driven at the Marina Bay circuit before, and the sprint weekend will give him just one practice session to acclimatise to the track. The format also limits the opportunities for teams to experiment with their setups compared to a conventional race weekend.
Lindblad believes Racing Bulls have been consistent in bringing competitive setups that require minimal changes throughout the weekend. He felt the team had consistently provided him with a competitive car from the first practice session, which had been helpful. While the team faced some struggles in Baku, the British-born driver felt they were able to resolve the issues in time for the Malaysian GP, where he showed competitive pace and secured a points finish. He believes Alpine, who have made a step forward in recent races, could challenge Racing Bulls in the midfield, making for an interesting weekend ahead.
Asked by Vision F1 what his expectation were from the Singapore GP weekend in terms of setup during the sprint format, Arvid Lindblad replied:
“Yeah, the team have done a really good job all year on like bringing a good starting setup. We haven’t had to do big changes. I mean, it doesn’t look great because normally we almost go down the relative in pace from P1 [FP1], sometimes quali [qualifying]. But that’s also, you know, credits to the team that they always do a good job to bring us something that’s very competitive from the start. So that should help on a sprint weekend.”
“I think we struggled a little bit in Baku, but they did a really good job to get on top of it for Malaysia and we were competitive in Malaysia. I think that was where our, has been more genuinely our pace. I think Alpine have made a step. So let’s see this weekend is going to be a very different track, very different weekend, like I said. So yeah, let’s see. It should be fun. ”
Arvid Lindblad hails Red Bull Powertrains engine
Arvid Lindblad praised Red Bull Powertrains [RBPT] and their first race win in Malaysia. The 2026 Bahrain GP was the first race won by Max Verstappen with an RBPT engine. The Racing Bulls rookie felt it was commendable for an engine provider to produce a competitive power unit and win a race in its very first season. RBPT have been rated as the benchmark engine of the 2026 grid by the FIA and, unlike Audi and Honda, their maiden season has featured multiple podiums and now a race win. Lindblad believes RBPT deserved more credit after the weekend, as it has been one of the quickest and most reliable engines throughout the season. He also mentioned posting a story crediting the engine supplier after the Bahrain GP in Sepang.
Asked what it means for Red Bull powertrains to win their first race in Sepang as an engine supplier, Arvid Linblad replied:
“I think for me it was just, I mean, I don’t know if you saw my story after the race. I think it was just, um, just well done. you know, to everyone. I think, you know, the engine has been really good all year. It’s, you know, I can imagine that no team has come in before and made an engine in their 1st year, has it classified as the best engine, which I think is pretty cool. It’s pretty, you know, in the in the rebel spirit, and I just think it’s obviously Red Bull have had their, it hasn’t been an easy year for them. They’ll openly say that. They haven’t had the performance they wanted. And I think that’s maybe hasn’t given the PU guys the credit they deserved because they’ve had other issues. And I just think it’s nice that, you know, they get the recognition that they deserve because we have had a really good engine all year. So just yeah, very, very happy for all of it.”
Red Bull Powrtrains have had the fewest power unit-related issues compared to title leaders Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi and even Honda. Their former engine supplier, Honda, has struggled to produce a competitive engine under the new regulations. Both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad have also enjoyed consistent seasons in 2026. The New Zealander is ninth in the drivers’ championship, while the Briton is 11th in the standings. Racing Bulls are fifth in the constructors’ championship, leading the rest of the midfield with 90 points. They are 22 points ahead of Alpine, who are sixth.
