Formula 1 might be raking in billions, but not every driver is living the high life with private jets and luxury suites. For some rising stars, the reality after a race weekend looks a lot more like what most of us experience—crowded airport gates and economy seats.
After the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, Racing Bulls teammates Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson chose to fly back on a budget airline. Lawson posted a smiling selfie on Instagram showing the pair side by side in standard economy, captioning it simply: “Shoutout easyJet.”
Lindblad later reshared the photo with his own message: “Stay humble.” It’s a theme that’s been quietly playing out for the 18-year-old rookie this season. Earlier this year, a fan spotted him on an economy flight to the Barcelona race, squeezed into a middle seat while studying his own onboard footage to prepare for the track.
While F1’s financial numbers are staggering—Liberty Media reported a 14% revenue jump to $3.9 billion in late 2025—the big money doesn’t always trickle down to the smaller teams. Drivers like four-time champion Max Verstappen may have their own private jets, but Lindblad and Lawson are keeping their feet on the ground, both literally and figuratively.
And that humble approach seems to be working. Lawson currently sits inside the top 10 of the drivers’ championship, while Lindblad is close behind in 11th with 22 points. Together, they’ve helped Racing Bulls tie Alpine for fifth in the constructors’ standings, each team holding 61 points.
The thing is, travel costs for race weekends aren’t counted under the sport’s cost cap. So even if the team lands a big bonus for beating Alpine, these two might still be boarding economy flights next season.
Could a little humility actually be the secret to their rising success?
