Racing Bulls has a brand-new upgrade package at Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix, but only Arvid Lindblad has the full package because he won an unusual shootout for it.

Racing Bulls currently has the standout car in the midfield and is the only team to score points with both drivers in each of the last four grands prix. It’s now only one point behind Alpine, which it has outscored 24-5 in the last three weekends.

In an effort to strengthen its position, Racing Bulls has introduced another upgrade package at Spa, including a revised engine cover, roll hoop, updated brake drum assembly and new upper rear wing assembly.

But, specifically on the cooling side of the package (that visibly smaller roll hoop), Racing Bulls only had enough parts to introduce it to just one of its cars. It will have the capacity to get both cars level on spec again in Budapest one week later.

Lindblad, despite being 19 points behind Liam Lawson in the drivers’ championship, received the full upgrade, while Lawson has to wait until the Hungarian GP.

Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane explained he sat down with both drivers to discuss the matter on Saturday evening after qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Lawson and Lindblad qualified ninth and 10th, a ‘one-two’ in F1’s midfield.

“Honestly, we don't like bringing updates for just one car. It was impossible for us to do it to two cars [as] it's a chassis modification, we had to shrink the roll hoop,” Permane explained.

“I sat down with both drivers in Austria on Saturday evening. We had a very good qualifying. So okay, while everyone's in a good mood. I'll give some bad news: ‘We got a good update coming but we can only do one car for Spa, and the next car will be done for the race after in Budapest’.

“So I first suggested the very simple option that makes it fair is we upgrade no cars for Spa and then both of them for Budapest. Of course, they looked at me like I was crazy - and I wouldn't have ever done that [anyway]. We didn't really seriously consider that.

"The next thing we can do is flip a coin - or we can make it a little bit of fun and we'll say whoever qualifies in front in Silverstone gets the upgrade, and they both signed up for that. That's what we did.”

Lindblad beat Lawson in Q3 to qualify ninth at Silverstone and earned the right to have the full upgrade package at Spa.

But that shootout won’t occur if Racing Bulls finds itself in a similar situation later in the year.

“I think what we'll do if it happens again later in the season, and it may happen later [as] we've got another big thing coming at some point, it will go to Liam,” Permane added. “So we won't do that again.”