Lindblad Hit by Gearbox Trouble

Arvid Lindblad missed the second free practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix due to a gearbox failure. Racing Bulls confirmed that a new transmission will be fitted to his car ahead of Saturday.

His teammate Liam Lawson completed the full session and set the 12th fastest time.

Team principal Alan Permane stated that the issue occurred on the out-lap from the pit lane, but the cause has been identified. He added that the team apologises to the driver and is focused on ensuring reliability for the upcoming sessions. He also noted that in the closely contested midfield, even fractions of a second can significantly affect positions, and that qualifying is expected to be extremely competitive.

Lindblad himself described the day as unfortunate, emphasising that he was unable to complete meaningful running, but expects to return to action on Saturday and aims to make progress over the remainder of the weekend.