Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson ended up sitting next to each other on the budget flight

What a likeable and down-to-earth demeanour! On their way back from Spa, the two Racing Bulls team-mates, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, flew home together and shared the moment on social media with a touch of humour. It’s unusual for Formula 1 drivers, who often fly in private jets or at least in Business Class, somewhat shielded from ‘ordinary folk’: they were sitting together on a flight with the budget airline EasyJet (which doesn’t even have a Business Class).

The two racing drivers shared a selfie on Instagram from row 3 – they were sitting next to each other: Liam Lawson by the window and Arvid Lindblad in the middle seat. They captioned it: ‘Stay humble’. Even at a cruising altitude of 10,000 metres, the pair kept their feet on the ground.

Both are regular commercial flyers

A few days and at least one flight to Hungary later – ahead of the race in Budapest – both held their media sessions one after the other. A major talking point was their likeable, down-to-earth approach to flying. And there was plenty of laughter at the Red Bull Energy Station at the Hungaroring.

When asked about the flight, rookie Arvid Lindblad replied with a laugh: “I don’t have much money, so I just take regular scheduled flights. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I’ve always done it that way. There’s no reason not to. If I can save a bit of money, then I’m happy to save a bit of money.”

So Lindblad and Lawson ended up sitting next to each other on the plane

Lindblad: “We were actually supposed to be sitting in seats 3D and 3F.” So D by the aisle and F by the window. In between was the middle seat, E. Someone else was sitting there. Lindblad: “The woman was a bit annoyed when I said I had the aisle seat. I then said that if she wanted to stay there, I could move to the middle seat. That’s how I ended up in 3E next to Liam.” Middle seats are usually unpopular – but that’s how the two colleagues ended up sitting next to each other. The lady in 3E was clearly not a Formula 1 fan – or, as Lindblad put it: “If she is, she doesn’t like me.” Loud laughter from the journalists present.

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The young Brit noticed on his economy flights that he’s recognised far more often than last year. Lindblad: “I get spoken to now and then. But I’m still quite new. I reckon other drivers get recognised more often.” It’s his first Formula 1 season.

Lindblad’s neighbour by the window, Liam Lawson, said cheekily about the flight: “I had the window seat, so that was fine.” Lawson is, in fact, a self-confessed fan of window seats (whilst many prefer aisle seats). The New Zealander added: “I find it hard to sleep on a plane. I need to lean against something.”

Racing Bulls on the rise

That was just what was needed. Because the journey after the Belgian Grand Prix dragged on. Lawson: “It was a good flight, even though we were about two hours late and didn’t take off until midnight. So it was a long evening. But it was fine.” How often does a Formula 1 driver actually fly economy class? Lawson: “Quite often, actually.”

In sporting terms, it could be a promising weekend: both Lindblad and Lawson are currently in good form, having consistently secured strong finishes in recent weeks. In the World Championship, the Racing Bulls are sitting in a strong 6th place.