The first emotion as a rally driver
On the occasion of the latest edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Arvid Lindblad experienced the thrill of co-driving for Jon Armstrong, a representative of the M-Sport Ford team in the WRC world championship. Subsequently, the British driver took the wheel of the same car, commenting on his experience: “It’s the first time I’ve done something like this, and it was incredible. In F1 we drive quite fast, and I wouldn’t say I was scared, but I was definitely out of my comfort zone and very surprised. A fantastic experience, very different, and I had a lot of fun.”
Read more Ogura dreams: “Silverstone highlights my strengths”
Future projects
In his first year in Formula 1, the championship where he is the only rookie on the grid this season, the 18-year-old has already looked to his future, where he did not rule out his desire to move into rallying once his career in the Circus is over: “Rallying is something I am learning more and more, and to be honest, lately I have started to appreciate it more. It’s something I would like to dedicate myself to one day, once my current projects are finished. Now that I have had a first small taste, I appreciate a bit more what these guys do, because the cameras and onboard footage don’t really show it. It’s incredible, it’s very fast and you are so close to the trees; it’s lightning fast, and what these drivers do is really impressive.”
From F1 to rally
The difference between the two competitions, however, has often made it difficult for F1 drivers to adapt or succeed in rally championships, regardless of their successes in the Circus. The most famous case was that of Kimi Raikkonen, world champion in 2007 but struggling during the three years he spent in the WRC from 2009 to 2010, when the Finn decided to leave F1 before returning. ‘Iceman’, in fact, achieved his best result with 5th place in the Rally of Turkey, winning only one special stage in Germany.
Read more Aldeguer: “At the beginning Rossi is intimidating, but thanks to him I will become a better rider”
Before him, two other compatriots such as Mika Salo and Mika Hakkinen participated in the Arctic Lapland Rally, with Schumacher’s replacement at Ferrari in 1999 coming close to victory in 2006. Even earlier, Alex Caffi, the only Italian to have participated first in F1 and then in rally, made the same ‘jump’ along with the English Martin Brundle and Derek Warwick, while Jim Clark remains today the only one to have participated in a rally world championship as the reigning F1 world champion in 1966.
Those who, in more recent years, seemed to adapt better to the characteristics of the Circus and the WRC appeared to be Robert Kubica. After winning a race in F1, in 2011 the Pole was the victim of a serious accident that forced him to temporarily interrupt his career. Recovered in 2013, that year he became champion in the WRC-2, then recently winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari.
Read more Bezzecchi: “I can’t wait to get back on the Aprilia”
