Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad wants to try rallying once his Formula 1 career is over.
The 18-year-old got the chance to drive Jon Armstrong’s M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, and was blown away by the experience.
“It was amazing, so thank you to Jon and the guys here for the opportunity,” said Lindblad.
“It’s my first time doing anything like that. We drive pretty quick [in Formula 1], but I’ve never been… I wouldn’t say scared, but I was very much outside my comfort zone [sitting alongside Jon], let’s say. I was very taken aback.
“It was just amazing to experience, so different to what we’re used to. So just to get an appreciation for these guys, what they do is so different, it was so much fun.”
F1 driver sampled top-class WRC machinery on Goodwood's loose-surface forest rally stage
Lindblad revealed he’s “become more fond of rallying recently” as it’s a sport “I’ve been learning more about”.
He added: “It’s something I’d like to potentially pursue once I’m done with my current endeavors.
“Definitely having my first little taste of it now, I have a bit more appreciation for what these guys do because the camera, the onboard, it doesn’t really show it.
“It’s so quick, so close to the trees, to the hedges, it’s fast and it’s just really impressive what these guys do.”
Armstrong was impressed by Lindblad’s capabilities.
Lindblad (r) impressed regular driver Armstrong (l)
“He really enjoyed the car, he thought it was amazing, and I think he’s interested to try a bit of rallying,” the M-Sport driver told DirtFish.
“Whether he does or not is another thing but, yeah, he really enjoyed the whole experience and it was really cool to meet him and he’s such a nice guy to
work with.
“It’s nice meeting people from F1 because I think it gives you something then to sort of follow whenever you get back into watching it.”
Events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed allow drivers from different disciplines to sample each other’s worlds.
Lindblad’s F1 team-mate Liam Lawson drove a Puma Rally1 at last year’s Festival of Speed, where he was tutored by Armstrong’s WRC team-mate Josh McErlean.
Haas driver Esteban Ocon was another to sample WRC machinery last year, steering a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1.
Throughout the weekend Armstrong admitted he tried to promote rallying and the WRC as best he could to a wider motorsport audience.
He said: “We’ve just got to keep building the sport and it’s good to see the popularity increasing again [in the UK].
“Even just going up the up the Goodwood hillclimb, I’m trying to put the car out of shape as much as possible to really show that we’re a very dynamic sport in terms of the technology of the cars. Sometimes it’s important to be spectacular, not just fast and racing in a clean line like most circuit racing.
“So, yeah, it’s just trying to show the exciting side of rallying and I think we get that a lot with Goodwood. So it’s important to keep promoting the sport through the rally stage and also going up the hill.”
