Racing Bulls continue to lead midfield in Hungary qualifying as Lindblad secures Q3 appearance despite FP3 setback

Racing Bulls delivered one of their strongest qualifying performances of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with rookie Arvid Lindblad reaching Q3 and securing ninth place on the grid despite missing most of final practice due to a precautionary power unit change.

Lindblad faced a challenging build-up to qualifying after a late PU issue kept him sidelined for the majority of FP3. However, Racing Bulls managed to return him to the track for two late laps, giving the young driver valuable information about the changing track conditions before the crucial qualifying session.

The rookie made the most of the opportunity, progressing through Q1 and Q2 before delivering an impressive Q3 performance to out-qualify several more experienced midfield rivals. His ninth-place result marked a strong recovery after a difficult morning.

Liam Lawson narrowly missed out on joining his team-mate in Q3, qualifying 11th after a frustrating final Q2 attempt. Despite the disappointment, Racing Bulls remains confident about its race prospects thanks to strong long-run pace shown during practice.

Technical Director Dan Fallows praised the entire team for overcoming a challenging preparation period and maximising the cars' potential at a circuit where track position is particularly valuable.

"With the Hungaroring being one of the more difficult circuits for overtaking in the race, we came into today looking to maximise our starting positions and we go away pleased to be starting 9th and 11th tomorrow," Fallows said.

"We saw some minor issues on the power units for both cars yesterday and today, so we elected to change them as a precautionary measure. This meant a late night on Liam's car and a push to get Arvid's car ready for the end of P3."

Fallows highlighted the effort from the Racing Bulls mechanics, who worked under pressure to ensure both cars were prepared for qualifying.

"Despite the work involved, the garage team did a fantastic job to get the cars in great shape for Qualifying today."

The team also executed its tyre strategy effectively, allowing both drivers to have fresh Soft compound tyres available when they reached the decisive stages of qualifying.

"We allocated 5 new sets of soft tyres to use in the three Qualifying sessions, planning to keep two new sets for both Q2 and Q3," Fallows explained.

"As we expected, both drivers made it safely through Q1 with one new and one used set and could enjoy new tyres for each run after that."

For Lindblad, the result was particularly impressive given his limited running before qualifying. The rookie credited the team for giving him a competitive car despite the difficult circumstances.

"I think today was really positive," Lindblad said. "We made a good step forward from yesterday, despite missing most of FP3 this morning. It put me on the back foot but we managed to get the car in a good place."

The 2026 rookie expressed his gratitude towards the mechanics who worked to get him back on track before qualifying.

"A massive thank you to the mechanics for getting the car ready in time to give me those two laps before Qualifying, they were really valuable in helping me get back up to speed."

"Credit also to the engineers for giving me the confidence in the car when it mattered most. It was a real team effort."

Lindblad was pleased with the performance of the Racing Bulls package around the Hungaroring and believes the team is in a strong position heading into Sunday's race.

"It’s a really enjoyable circuit to drive, and we’ve put ourselves in a strong position for tomorrow," he said. "We know Audi will be quick over the race distance, but we’ve done the job today to make sure we’re starting ahead, and now the focus is on converting that into a good result."

Lawson, meanwhile, admitted frustration after missing out on Q3 but remained optimistic about Racing Bulls' chances of scoring points.

"I'm disappointed with my execution in Q2," Lawson said. "We were pretty good in Q1, however I locked up in the first lap and didn't have a strong second lap. It's a shame as the car has been very good."

The New Zealander believes the team's race pace should allow him to fight for points from 11th on the grid.

"Our long runs have been quick, so we should have a fast car for the race tomorrow. Points are definitely within reach, so it's all to play for."