News Summary
- Arvid Lindblad hit the barriers twice during Azerbaijan GP FP2
- The Racing Bulls stopped inside the castle section and caused a red flag
- Lindblad climbed out without assistance and appeared to be uninjured
Arvid Lindblad brought out a red flag during FP2 for the Azerbaijan GP after hitting the barriers twice inside the narrow castle section of the Baku City Circuit on Thursday.
The incident occurred with approximately 40 minutes remaining in the session. Lindblad initially clipped the wall on the approach to Turn 9 before making further contact with the barriers and stopping on the circuit.
With the Racing Bulls blocking part of one of Baku’s narrowest sections, Race Control suspended the session to allow marshals to recover the damaged car.
Lindblad climbed out without assistance and appeared to be uninjured. Racing Bulls has yet to confirm the extent of the damage or whether major components will need to be replaced before FP3.
Arvid Lindblad hits the barriers during Azerbaijan GP FP2 (Video: F1)
The accident came after an encouraging opening session for the British driver. Lindblad finished FP1 in eighth place with a 1:46.601, 1.214s behind George Russell’s benchmark, and ahead of several established midfield rivals.
His morning was not entirely clean, however. Lindblad briefly became stuck in the Turn 7 run-off area near the end of FP1 and had to reverse before returning to the circuit.
Second consecutive FP2 crash for Lindblad
The Baku incident represents Lindblad’s second FP2 accident in consecutive race weekends.
At the Spanish GP, the 19-year-old lost the rear of his Racing Bulls under braking for Turn 13 and hit the barriers at Madring. He had been fourth-fastest before the accident but required a chassis change, leaving his mechanics working into the following day.
Despite completing only a handful of laps in FP3, Lindblad recovered to reach Q3 and qualify tenth in Madrid. The Racing Bulls rookie said he would not punish himself for the mistake because errors formed part of his development during his first Formula 1 season.
Baku presents a different repair challenge. The first contact appeared to damage the car before the second impact left it stranded, but the condition of the suspension, floor and gearbox will only become clear after Racing Bulls completes its inspection.
The Azerbaijan weekend follows a compressed schedule, with FP3 and qualifying taking place on Friday before the race on Saturday. That gives the team less recovery time than during a conventional Formula 1 weekend.
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F1 today: FAQ
What time does the 2026 Azerbaijan GP start?
The race starts on Saturday, September 26, at 12:00 UK time. It begins at 07:00 ET and 04:00 PT in the US, 16:30 in India and 21:00 AEST in eastern Australia.
Who starts on pole for the Azerbaijan GP?
George Russell starts from pole for Mercedes, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Isack Hadjar qualified fourth, followed by Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?
The race was moved to Saturday because Sunday, September 27, is Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning. The entire F1 weekend was brought forward by one day.
Is Arvid Lindblad injured after his Baku crash?
Lindblad climbed out of the Racing Bulls without assistance and appeared to be uninjured.
