While Red Bull’s driver switches are becoming increasingly frequent, when they promote a young driver the motorsport world pays attention.
Today, the spotlight falls on Arvid Lindblad, the 18-year-old British-Swedish talent who has officially joined Red Bull’s sister outfit Racing Bulls, becoming one of the youngest drivers ever promoted into a Formula 1 race seat (Lindblad will be the third-youngest ever when he lines up in Australia next year).
For a teenager who only made his single-seater debut a few years ago, it’s a meteoric rise — and one that many inside the paddock saw coming long ago.
So who is Lindblad, and why are Red Bull accelerating him into F1 so quickly?
Early life and background
Arvid Gustav Lindblad was born on 8 August 2007 in Virginia Water, Surrey, to a Swedish father and an Indian-British mother.
By the time he was five, he was karting competitively at Daytona Sandown Park in Esher, and his rise through the UK karting scene was rapid.
Lindblad became a British Cadet Champion in 2019 and, under the mentorship of Formula E racer (and 2025 champion) Oliver Rowland, won the WSK Super Master Series in 2020 and the WSK Euro Series in 2021.
That same year, aged just 13, he signed into the Red Bull Junior Team — a big signal of belief in his long-term potential.
From karting star to single-seater prodigy
Lindblad’s transition from karting to single seaters was intense, but impressive. Lindblad fought in multiple F4 series in his debut season in cars, in Italy, the UAE and in Euro 4, challenging for the title in all three. Notably, he ended the year with a high-profile win at the Macau F4 race.
The next big leap came in 2024 when he joined PREMA Racing in FIA Formula 3. It was an aggressive promotion — but one he justified with a record-breaking campaign.
He became the youngest winner in F3 history with his sprint race victory in Bahrain and delivered a historic performance at Silverstone, sweeping the entire weekend — something no F3 driver had ever done.
His season showcased not just raw speed but veteran-quality consistency, and he finished the year as one of the championship’s standout graduates in fourth.
A rapid promotion to F2 and a big show of faith
Lindblad moved into Formula 2 for 2025, taking on the demanding machinery that serves as F1’s final proving ground.
While showing the adaptability that has characterised every step of his rise, it hasn’t been as smooth sailing as many of his other years in racing.
Lindblad started the season like a title contender, with consistent points and impressive victories in the Jeddah sprint and the feature race in Barcelona, but since then he has only stepped on the podium once. That came in Monza, the day before he rear-ended Alex Dunne, leading to a race retirement.
But the next move was always on Red Bull’s mind, so much so that in June he was granted a special dispensation FIA super licence at the age of 17, in similar fashion to Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli. In October — off the back of his first F1 test earlier in the year — he was an eye-raising sixth in Mexico practice when filling in for Verstappen.
Lindblad is sixth in the F2 championship with one round to go in Abu Dhabi, which he goes into knowing he’s the next full-time F1 starlet.
Why Red Bull chose him, and what happens next
The Racing Bulls seat is no ceremonial placement, it is a live audition for the future. Red Bull use the team as their talent crucible, and promoting Lindblad now signals that they see him as a long-term candidate for their senior team — perhaps even as a future partner or successor to Verstappen.
The step is enormous. The scrutiny will be intense. Mistakes will come. But Red Bull do not promote 18-year-olds unless they are certain the ceiling is sky high.
First, he must prove he can hold his own against a solid competitor in Liam Lawson. Lawson, though, has already had a shot at the Red Bull senior seat, and so Lindblad may be the next in line should Red Bull fancy a change.
“Arvid’s rapid progression marks him as one of the standout young talents in the sport,” Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane said.
“Together with Liam, they form a strong and dynamic pairing, one that embodies the ambition and youthful spirit of VCARB as we enter a transformative new era for Formula 1.”
