Oliver Rowland fulfills promise to cheer for protege Arvid Lindblad at Australian GP, flies from Dubai to Melbourne amid Middle East tension

Less than a week earlier, Oliver Rowland had hit the road with his family to escape to the desert amid Middle East tension. The Formula E world champion lives in Dubai but managed to fly to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix to make sure he was there for his protege Arvid Lindblad. The latter trained under Rowland and put up a notable performance in his debut F1 race by bagging his first points.

Oliver Rowland was by Arvid Lindblad’s side in paddock at 2026 Australian Grand Prix

Arvid Lindblad was chosen by the F1 team Racing Bulls for the 2026 season. The 18-year-old is the youngest driver in the F1 paddock but finished in eighth position after an impressive qualifying. He had claimed the ninth spot on the grid and successfully held on to his position in Sunday’s race at the Albert Park Circuit.

Oliver Rowland featured alongside Lindblad as the F1 rookie shared post-race pictures from the celebrations in Melbourne. Lindblad wrote along with it: “Speechless. A lot of pinch-me moments today - first F1 race, points on debut, and even running at P3 at one point. Mega way to end an amazing weekend in Australia. Huge thanks to the team, excited to take the learnings and momentum to China.”

Rowland simply dropped a wolf emoji in the comments while reacting to his post.

Oliver Rowland had left his Dubai home for a road trip in the desert amid Middle East tension

Oliver Rowland had earlier revealed that he would be there for Lindblad for almost all the races in the first half of the season, barring a few. The Nissan driver fulfilled the promise despite sharing a worrisome account of leaving his Dubai home for a road trip in the desert as explosions rocked the city.

Rowland had shared car pictures of his wife and two kids from their rickety ride to the desert. He wrote along with it: “We packed our bags and a couple of packed lunches and headed off on a road trip. In response to all the messages we have received, we are all fine and we are extremely grateful to the UAE for protecting us during this difficult time. We made the decision to leave Dubai early for the desert. We didn't feel in any immediate danger, but we felt it was better to be safe than sorry in case things escalate beyond our imagination! Here's hoping for peace to be restored in this wonderful place that gives my family and me a wonderful life!”

He will likely also fly to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix scheduled next weekend and the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks after.

Also read: Oliver Rowland exits Dubai for the desert amid Middle East tensions: “Better safe than sorry”


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