Arvid Lindblad has crashed during a Pirelli tyre test at Suzuka, aquaplaning into the barriers after his Racing Bulls car encountered standing water on the track.
Photographs of the incident show damage to the front of the car, with the front wing no longer attached. However, it was not a serious collision.
The British driver has taken over for Liam Lawson during the two-day test following the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Faenza-based squad and its parent team are the two outfits assisting F1’s sole tyre manufacturer as the championship heads into its five-week hiatus.
Isack Hadjar is the only Red Bull driver behind the wheel of the RB22. It is understood that Max Verstappen was never scheduled to be in the cockpit, but the Dutchman did test his Mercedes GT3 at the Nurburgring early this week.
Rumours that Yuki Tsunoda would be driving for either team were also unfounded, as the Japanese driver has not taken part.
After the Bahrain test, ahead of the F1 season, was cancelled due to the war in the Middle East, Pirelli took the opportunity to make up for lost time with adverse weather forecast at the circuit.
On day one, Lawson and Hadjar tested the full-wet tyres in the morning. As the track gradually dried out, intermediate options were used.
According to Pirelli, “The Red Bull driver completed 69 laps for a total of 401 kilometres, while the Racing Bulls driver managed 65 laps covering 377 kilometres.”
Despite the damage done to his VCARB 03, Lindblad is back in the car to continue the final afternoon of the test.
