Arvid Lindblad crashes during Pirelli tyre test at Suzuka

Red Bull junior driver Arvid Lindblad crashed his Racing Bulls car during a Pirelli tyre test at Suzuka, aquaplaning into the barriers after hitting standing water. The incident caused front-end damage, including a detached front wing, but was not a serious collision. Lindblad was able to return to the track for the final afternoon of the two-day test following the Japanese Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

Tyre testing is a critical, limited opportunity for Pirelli to develop compounds for future seasons and for teams to gather valuable data. A crash, even a minor one, consumes precious track time and resources. For a young driver like Lindblad, taking over the cockpit from Liam Lawson, it represents a high-stakes chance to impress in a current-spec Formula 1 car under challenging conditions.

The details:

• The crash occurred when Lindblad's VCARB 03 hit standing water on the circuit, causing the car to aquaplane off the track and into the barriers.
• Photographs showed damage concentrated on the front of the car, with the front wing torn off, but the chassis appeared largely intact.
• The test is being conducted by the Red Bull family, with Isack Hadjar driving the RB22 for Red Bull Racing and Lindblad in the Racing Bulls, making up for a cancelled pre-season test in Bahrain.
• Pirelli specifically chose to test in Suzuka with adverse weather forecast to evaluate wet and intermediate tyre performance, a key goal of the session.
• Contrary to some rumors, neither Max Verstappen nor Yuki Tsunoda were scheduled to participate in this test.

What's next:

The test program continues with Lindblad back in the car, underscoring the minor nature of the incident. The data collected from both days, especially from running in genuinely wet conditions, will be invaluable for Pirelli's ongoing tyre development for the 2025 season and beyond. For Lindblad and Hadjar, the remainder of the test is a crucial opportunity to log more miles and demonstrate their capability to their teams under formal testing conditions.