The Racing Bulls rookie admitted Hamilton was the driver he idolised growing up, but says years of racing have taught him to separate admiration from competition. Once the helmet is on, Lindblad says every rival is treated exactly the same.

Hamilton was a natural inspiration for the British driver as he climbed through the junior ranks, but Lindblad revealed those emotions disappear the moment he climbs into the cockpit.

Asked on the Chris Moyles Show whether there is still a voice in his head reminding him he is racing a seven-time world champion, Lindblad replied with a blunt: "No."

He admitted there were moments when the reality of sharing a Formula 1 circuit with Hamilton first hit him: "I remember when I did my first FP1, and I was on a cool down lap, and an engineer was like, 'Hamilton's pushing,' you know, three, two, and then we have to get out of the way.

"And I was like, Wow! I'm sharing the track with Lewis, this is pretty nuts! I said, like, after half a lap, I realised that, Wow, I have just been side by side with Lewis, that is pretty nuts!" said Arvid, admitting he experienced the same feeling during his Formula 1 debut in Melbourne.

Despite those memorable moments, Lindblad says instinct quickly takes over once the racing begins: "I'd say for me, when the helmet goes on, I don't really care who you are. It's just another car to me I'm going to try and pass."

The 18-year-old explained that mentality has been built since childhood: "You get used to finding your way of switching, when you're sort of more friendly off track. But then when you're on track, you know it's every man for themselves."

Lindblad also revealed he has had to adapt to working with Formula 1 engineers, admitting he can sometimes be too direct when discussing car performance.

While he already knew many of the Red Bull junior drivers before reaching Formula 1, he said building relationships with engineers has been a different challenge: "I'm quite honest with the engineers of what I need and what I think. Maybe sometimes a little bit too honest, and obviously it's a skill I'm trying to work on and really getting the balance right on that side.

The Briton insisted he will never avoid difficult conversations if they can unlock performance: "In the end I'm there to drive, and I want to get the best performance possible. So, I'm not going to hide the truth. If I need something, I'm going to be like, 'Can we focus on this, because I'm really struggling with this,' and there's a lot of performance there."

Lindblad arrives at his first home Grand Prix after a confident start to life in Formula 1 and heads to Silverstone determined to keep learning.

If that means battling wheel-to-wheel with the driver who inspired him as a child, he has already decided how he will approach it: Hamilton is simply another car ahead that needs passing.

Looking ahead to this weekend's British Grand Prix, Lindblad will mark his first home Formula 1 race at Silverstone with a special one-off helmet celebrating the journey that took him from childhood karting dreams to the British Grand Prix grid.

Created with British-Indian artist Navinder Nangla, the design features hand-drawn illustrations highlighting key moments in Lindblad's career. They include his first motocross bike at the age of three, his British IAME Cadet title, joining the Red Bull Junior Team, his Formula 3 double victory at Silverstone, his first Formula 1 practice appearance and scoring points on his Grand Prix debut this season.

The helmet also carries the messages "Dream Big" and "My Path, My Way", reflecting the mindset Lindblad says guided his rise through the ranks.

"This special helmet truly represents my journey," Lindblad said. "Everything started with the dream of being in Formula One and it feels special to tell that story at Silverstone, where so much of my journey began."

Nangla said the collaboration was especially meaningful because both share British-Indian heritage and dyslexia, adding the helmet became "the fastest canvas I've ever worked on."
Source: Listen to The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X weekdays from 06:30 – 10:00 and on Saturday from 08:00 - 11:00 across the UK and on YouTube.