Arvid Lindblad found the barriers at Suzuka during a Pirelli wet-weather tyre test.
Arvid Lindblad crashed during a Pirelli tyre test at Suzuka, aquaplaning into the barriers after encountering standing water on the track with his Racing Bulls car. Photographs of the incident show damage to the car’s front, with the front wing detached, but it was not a serious collision. The British driver replaced Liam Lawson during the two-day test post the Japanese Grand Prix. The Faenza-based squad and its parent team are assisting F1’s sole tyre manufacturer during the five-week championship hiatus. Isack Hadjar, the only Red Bull driver in the RB22, tested while Max Verstappen did not take part, focusing on testing his Mercedes GT3 at the Nurburgring. Rumours about Yuki Tsunoda driving for either team were false; the Japanese driver did not participate. After the Bahrain test got cancelled due to Middle East conflicts, Pirelli utilized the time with adverse weather forecasts at the circuit for testing. Lawson and Hadjar tested full-wet tyres first, then switched to intermediate options as the track dried out on day one. Pirelli noted the Red Bull driver completed 69 laps, while the Racing Bulls driver managed 65 laps. Despite Lindblad’s VCARB 03 damage, he returned to the car for the test’s final afternoon.
