Arvid Lindblad has made history by winning the Jeddah Formula 2 sprint race at an astonishingly young age of 17 years, 8 months, and 11 days, surpassing Théo Pourchaire’s previous record for the youngest F2 victor by 21 days. This remarkable achievement unfolded after Richard Verschoor, who had led the race from the beginning, was relegated to fourth place due to a penalty for forcing another driver off the track.
The race began with Verschoor taking pole position, followed closely by Gabriele Minì and Pepe Martí on the grid. This lineup was slightly altered as Roman Staněk, who had qualified in 10th place, received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Alex Dunne during qualifying sessions.
From the outset, Verschoor maintained his lead, while Martí managed to overtake Minì for second place, and Lindblad impressively moved from his starting position in sixth to fourth. However, the early excitement was marred by a collision between Cian Shields and Rafael Villagómez at Turn 1, which led to a virtual safety car being deployed at the start of lap two.
As the race resumed on lap three, Lindblad quickly closed the gap to Minì and successfully overtook him in the final corner, positioning himself among the top three contenders. On lap four, Martí executed a daring move to take the lead from Verschoor at the first chicane, but just a lap later, Verschoor regained his position with a similar maneuver. However, a five-second penalty was later imposed on Verschoor for pushing Martí off the track during the battle.
By lap eight, Martí faced difficulties as he went wide at Turns 8 and 27, allowing both Lindblad and Minì to pass him. Although Martí briefly regained fourth place using DRS at the start of lap nine, he later expressed his frustration in the post-race press conference, acknowledging that he “cannot afford mistakes like the one today going forward.”
In the following laps, Minì struggled to defend his position, frequently cutting the first chicane in an effort to hold off Dunne and Staněk, both of whom would eventually pass him. The race took another turn on lap 16 when Jak Crawford attempted to overtake Minì at the chicane but locked up and spun, prompting a safety car period.
At the rear of the pack, Ritomo Miyata and Villagómez opted for supersoft tires, although neither managed to secure points in the end. As the race resumed with three laps remaining, Verschoor maintained his lead but quickly broke out of the DRS range. Martí managed to catch up to Lindblad but was unable to make a pass.
Once Verschoor’s penalty was applied, Lindblad emerged victorious, finishing 0.578 seconds ahead of Martí, who took second place. The podium was rounded out by Alex Dunne. Verschoor, despite finishing fourth, managed to set the fastest lap of the race, while Staněk, Minì, Leonardo Fornaroli, and Victor Martins also earned points.
Reflecting on his victory, Lindblad remarked, “I still wanted to try and win on track, but he was just a bit faster in the last couple of laps. So [it was] not the way I want to win.” Lindblad’s achievement not only marks him as the youngest F2 winner but also makes him the first rookie to win in Jeddah since Oscar Piastri did so in the inaugural year of the track’s inclusion on the calendar.
Lindblad’s journey in motorsport began in 2023, and he has demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt to new circuits quickly. “I’m still quite young and inexperienced, so I feel like every year I’m learning new tracks. On that side, I don’t think there was anything new. Like I said, I’m used to learning new tracks and not having much time to deal with it,” he shared in an interview with Feeder Series. He emphasized the importance of thorough preparation, stating, “[It’s about] a lot of preparation in the sim and with the team, and just sort of sending it when you have to.”
Both drivers from the Campos team had their best qualifying results of the season on Friday, securing fifth and seventh positions for the upcoming race. Following their historic 1-2 finish, marking Campos’ first-ever F2 1-2 and their first in the second tier since 2016, both Lindblad and Martí expressed optimism about their potential for further success.
“I still think we have a little bit of work to do tomorrow because Richard was really strong, but it gives me a lot of confidence,” Lindblad noted, indicating his desire to build on this momentum. Martí added, “We still have a bit to improve in the car. I think we’re not the quickest. Certainly Richard was far ahead of us today. I think we have to do a small step forward for tomorrow. I’m very certain we can challenge for a very good result.”
As the weekend progresses, the excitement surrounding Lindblad’s historic win continues to grow, and fans eagerly await the next chapter in his promising career. The atmosphere is charged with anticipation as the Campos team seeks to capitalize on this momentum and strive for even greater accomplishments in the races ahead. The Jeddah circuit has proven to be a pivotal stage for young talents, and with Lindblad’s recent triumph, it is clear that the future of motorsport is bright with emerging stars ready to take the spotlight.
