Arvid Lindblad may be one of F1’s newest faces, but his latest stop in Mumbai had very little to do with racing lines and lap times.
The young driver recently dropped a vlog from the city — one that was less about ticking tourist boxes, and more about reconnecting with a place that’s always been part of his story.
From Mannat to Maidan
One of the standout moments from his trip came outside Mannat, the home of Shah Rukh Khan.
“I don’t know if you can see, but the house is called Mannat, which means wish in Hindi,” Lindblad said in the vlog.
He went on to recount the story behind the house, linking it to his own journey.
“Apparently Shah Rukh Khan came here many years ago and the guards were telling him to go away. And he said, ‘I’m gonna buy this house
one day.’ That’s quite cool… I think that’s why he named it Mannat — because he wished to live here one day. It’s kind of a little bit similar to me and Lando with that story. So it’s quite ironic.”
From there, the trip moved quickly — a game of cricket at Azad Maidan, a walk through Colaba Causeway, and a stop at Girgaum Chowpatty for local food.
Seeing Mumbai Through a Different Lens
At the Gateway of India, Lindblad found a familiar reference point: yachts lined up along the water reminded him of Monaco.
But the connection runs deeper than surface-level comparisons.
“I come from a multicultural, multifaith background. And that’s at the core of my being,” he said.
His name, Arvid Anand Olof Lindblad, reflects that. While his father is Swedish, “Anand” comes from his maternal grandfather, who is from Bihar.
A Rookie Season, A Rooted Identity
Away from Mumbai, it’s been a busy start to life in F1 for Arvid.
Lindblad made his debut earlier this year at the Australian Grand Prix with Racing Bulls, finishing eighth and scoring points on debut. That result made him one of the youngest points-scorers in F1 history and Britain’s youngest.
He followed that up with steady runs in China and Japan, including a Q3 appearance in Japan where he qualified 10th.
Up next? The Miami Grand Prix on May 4.
