From Last on the Grid to a Last-Lap Point: Lindblad’s Sepang Fightback
Arvid Lindblad started 22nd and secured tenth with a final-lap pass on Nico Hülkenberg, giving Racing Bulls a double points finish at Sepang.
One lap remained, and Arvid Lindblad was outside the points. After starting last in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, he still needed to pass Nico Hülkenberg to leave Sepang with something on the scoreboard.
He made the move count. Lindblad overtook the Audi driver on the final lap to finish tenth, completing a recovery of 12 places from his starting position.
The right tires opened the door
Lindblad’s place at the back came after power-unit grid penalties. He had qualified 16th, but a combined 30-place penalty left him 22nd on Sunday.
Racing Bulls chose intermediate tires for the wet opening conditions. While some rivals struggled on slicks, Lindblad moved into the top ten early, turning a difficult starting position into a chance to score.
Both Racing Bulls drivers switched to hard tires under the first Safety Car. The opening gains had put Lindblad in contention, but staying there proved harder.
His afternoon included wheel-to-wheel battles with Esteban Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto and Hülkenberg as the order changed through pit stops and interruptions.
Tire wear made the point harder to secure
Team principal Alan Permane said Lindblad suffered considerably more tire degradation than teammate Liam Lawson, despite showing good pace throughout the weekend.
That difficulty helps explain why reaching the top ten early did not make a points finish straightforward. Lindblad later slipped to 11th, leaving Hülkenberg between him and the final scoring position.
Permane praised the last-lap overtake that recovered the point. Lindblad also saved his personal fastest lap of the race for that final circuit, recording a 1:40.315.
He crossed the line 1.476 seconds ahead of Hülkenberg after 55 laps. Lawson’s seventh place added six points, bringing Racing Bulls’ total to seven.
The difference between tenth and 11th was only one point. From last on the grid, and with that point still out of reach entering the final lap, it was worth fighting for.
