Rallying is a discipline Arvid Lindblad would like to potentially pursue in a future post-Formula 1 after tasting World Rally Championship machinery at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The Racing Bulls F1 rookie jumped aboard an M-Sport-Ford Puma Rally1 car to tackle the event’s tight and twisty 1.9-mile forest gravel stage, designed by the late 1983 world rally champion Hannu Mikkola.
Lindblad first jumped into the co-driver seat for a pass through the stage alongside M-Sport-Ford WRC star Jon Armstrong, before getting behind the wheel himself. The 18-year-old said the experience offered newfound appreciation for rally drivers and the Brit also revealed that rallying is something he has admired for some time and would consider pursuing after his career in F1.
“It was amazing, so thanks to Jon and the guys here for the opportunity for starters, as it is my first time doing anything like that,” said Lindblad on the Goodwood Festival of Speed live stream.
“We drive pretty quick [in Formula 1] and I wouldn’t say I was scared but I was very much outside of my comfort zone and very taken aback. It was just amazing to experience, it is so different to what we are used to so just to get an appreciation for these guys. It is so different. It was so much fun.
“It [rallying] is something that I have been learning more about and I have actually become more fond of rally recently, and it is something I would like to potentially pursue one day once I’m done with my current endeavours.
“After having my first little taste of it now, I have a bit more of an appreciation for what these guys do because the cameras and the onboards don’t really show it. It is amazing, it is so quick and you are so close to the trees, it is fast, and it is really impressive what these drivers do.”
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Likewise, Armstrong, competing in his first season in WRC’s top tier, enjoyed sharing his Puma with fellow Ford powered driver Lindblad, who made his F1 debut this year.
“I really enjoyed taking him for the spin and it was nice to see how much he enjoyed the experience from a driving point of view,” said Armstrong.
“It is incredible [what job he is doing in F1] and I think F1 drivers have a tough time as they come in and they have to try and prove their point straight away.
“It is not easy and you have to learn against a lot of experience and you are based on the car that you get into, and there are different speeds in different teams, you have to punch above your weight and I think he has been doing that.”
Armstrong will be back in action this week when the WRC heads to Estonia for the first fast gravel rally of the season.
