Arvid Lindblad will start from the very rear of the Bahrain Grand Prix grid in Malaysia after a severe power‑unit penalty forces the Red Bull‑owned Briton to run a fifth engine, turbocharger, and exhaust set.
Momentum prizes the back‑seat start
During the 2024 season the rule limits each internal‑combustion engine, turbocharger, and exhaust to four fittings, and Lindblad reached the limit during Azerbaijan. The penalty applied for Bahrain compels the driver to use a new set, pushing his total to five and moving him to the grid’s tail end.
Red Bull reportedly chose the Sepang weekend as the most opportune moment to absorb the cost of the extra power‑unit components, hoping the subsequent races will offer a chance to recover lost positions.
Penalties mounted during Baku
Lindblad also engaged a new batch of ancillary parts – fuel system, wastegate, oil tank and cooling system – in Baku; these stayed within the maximum of six permitted sets, avoiding additional punishment.
Meat in the middle of Azerbaijan
Despite the setback in Sepang, the young driver finished seventh in Azerbaijan, clinching his place after a restart incident with teammate Liam Lawson. A brief touch as Lindblad tried to sidestep Esteban Ocon left Lawson spinning, but Lindblad recovered, even narrowly overtaking Ocon in the final turn.
He has already apologized for the contact and said the team has discussed what could change in the future, shifting focus to the upcoming Grand Prix.
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