Arvid Lindblad scores valuable Spa points as Racing Bulls draw level with Alpine. Only one Racing Bulls driver finishes in the points.

Only one Racing Bulls driver finishes in the points

After four consecutive Grands Prix in which both drivers finished inside the points, Racing Bulls’ particularly positive run came to an end at Spa. However, the Belgian Grand Prix result was far from disastrous for the Faenza-based team, with Arvid Lindblad crossing the line in ninth place.

The British rookie secured another top-10 finish one day after also impressing in qualifying, where he set the seventh-fastest time. His performance ensured Racing Bulls still left Belgium with valuable championship points, despite Liam Lawson being unable to join his team-mate inside the points-paying positions.

Racing Bulls draw level with Alpine in fifth place

Thanks to Arvid Lindblad’s result, combined with Franco Colapinto’s 10th-place finish, Racing Bulls drew level with Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship. The two teams now share fifth position with 61 points.

“Bringing home points is a great way to finish the weekend here in Belgium, especially after showing strong pace from the very beginning,” the young British rookie explained. “It was a lot of fun out on track, and Gabi [Gabriel Bortoleto] and I pushed each other throughout the race.

“I felt we had the potential to finish eighth, but credit to Gabi and Audi for making the most of the Virtual Safety Car. I feel increasingly comfortable in the car with every weekend. As a team, we are working in a very collaborative way, we understand each other better and better, and we are continuing to develop the car.

“It is fantastic to see all that hard work translating into results on the track. I am feeling confident ahead of the race in Hungary next week. I love the corners and the limited number of straights, so I cannot wait to race at one of my favourite circuits on the calendar.”

Despite starting ninth on the grid, Liam Lawson endured a more difficult Sunday than his Racing Bulls team-mate. His eventual 12th-place finish highlighted the problems that brought the team’s sequence of consecutive double points finishes to an end.

“It was not the easiest race today,” the New Zealander admitted. “We had a very good start, probably our best of the season, but unfortunately we did not have enough pace throughout the race.

“We started the weekend in a good position, but while the other teams found more performance during the race, we were unable to make the same step forward. We tried several different settings and modes to improve the situation, but unfortunately none of them made the difference we had hoped for.

“Despite that, there are still some positives to take away. It was another encouraging weekend in terms of the car’s development, and I am looking forward to having the complete upgrade package on my car next week. Hungary is a very different circuit from Spa, so hopefully we can return to fighting for more points.”