00:03A garland on the car, a string of Neemu Mirji hanging from the front, a tikka on the hood,
00:08and a coconut smashed on the track before the race.
00:11Not exactly what you'd expect in the world of Formula 1, but this is how one team prepared
00:16its car before race day.
00:17And the driver heading onto the track, 18-year-old Arvid Linbal, also had a few very desi tote
00:23cars on his side to keep the bad luck away.
00:25Linbal made his debut in Formula 1 this year with Racing Bulls.
00:28He was born in the UK to a Swedish father and an Indian mother.
00:32His maternal grandparents originally came from Punjab before moving to England, and Linbal has
00:37always said he's proud of that Indian heritage.
00:45Growing up, he celebrated Indian festivals, ate Indian food, and took part in family pujas.
00:50Diwali, he says, was always a big celebration at home.
00:53So before what was possibly the biggest moment of his career so far, his family did what many
00:58Indian families do before an important milestone.
01:00They held a traditional puja for blessings.
01:03God bless you.
01:04And whether it was talent, preparation, or maybe a little divine intervention, the teenage rookie
01:09made history at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, becoming the third youngest driver in F1
01:15history to score points.
01:16Just days before his debut, Linbal was also in Delhi NCR for the Red Bulls Motor Jam, where
01:21he drove an F1 car in front of Indian fans and proudly waved the tri-colour.
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