Oliver Rowland, reigning Formula E champion and manager of Arvid Lindblad, has insisted the F1 rookie is "beyond his years" when it comes to maturity
Lindblad is the only debutant on the grid this season, with the Red Bull junior having already impressed at Racing Bulls.
The 18-year-old has made an immediate impact despite the complexity of the sport's new power unit regulations, scoring points on his debut.
At the Australian Grand Prix, Lindblad reached the final part of qualifying, narrowly being beaten by team-mate Liam Lawson.
He started ninth but gained a position to finish eighth, with his performance on the opening lap leaving Rowland in awe.
"I mean, it was a dream start in Australia — on the first lap, I had the hairs standing up on the back of my head," Rowland told RacingNews365. "He did a great job.
"Every time I see him, the guy is maturing beyond his years, and I'm really proud of him, to be honest.
"Obviously, he just needs to keep his feet on the ground and make sure he doesn't fly off anywhere."
Lindblad's striking maturity
The Chinese Grand Prix was more challenging for Lindblad, who qualified 15th but still made progress in the race to finish 12th.
What has been noticeable about F1's newest rookie is just how mature he is, something Rowland insists has not been drilled into him by either himself or Red Bull.
Rowland has worked with Lindblad since he was just seven, while Red Bull signed him to its junior programme in 2021.
Asked who has made Lindblad so mature at such a young age, Rowland explained: "Me or Red Bull, I don't think we have any [influence]. He's him, you know. The day I met him, when he was seven, he was already beyond his years.
"He's just maintained that delta, to be honest, so I think that's down to him. And yes, the grounding from myself and Red Bull probably helps, because we're focused on trying to mature him, and Red Bull has done an absolutely incredible job with him.
"But it's mainly down to him, to be honest."
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