Arvid Lindblad is the new talent under Red Bull’s radar. Helmut Marko is already praising him: “What makes him incredible [is] his pure speed”.
Arvid Lindblad and Red Bull Aim at the Super Licence
Arvid Lindblad, born in 2007, is the rising star in the Red Bull Junior Team. The British driver is already raising attention in Formula 3. He will make his debut in Formula 2 in 2025 with Campos, partnering Pepe Martì.
His talent is impressive, to the point that even Helmut Marko is full of high praise. The counsellor of Red Bull admitted that the team is looking at various drivers, but Lindblad is the most promising.
“What makes him incredible [is] his pure speed. During a race of this season Formula 3, he overtook 14 cars in one lap”. – Helmut Marko on Arvid Lindbald.
Before racing in F2, he will take part in the Regional championship in New Zealand which will give him the necessary points for the Super Licence. Should Lindblad go on to show to be fast enough in Formula 2, he may take a step forward for Formula 1.
Who’s Arvid Lindblad?
Lindblad, a British driver with Indian and Swedish origins, made his debut in karts when he was only 8. During his time in karting competitions, he won the WSK Final Series and WSK Final Cup. And he was on the podium of the world championship both in 2021 and 2022.
Lindblad joined the world of single-seater cars recently. In 2021, Christian Horner and Marko decided to welcome him to the Red Bull Junior Team. With Red Bull, he made his debut in Formula 4, finishing the season in third after a whole season of battles with Kacper Sztuka and Ugo Ugochukwu.
After just one season, he was ready for Formula 3 in 2024, without going through all the usual competitions in the middle.
In Bahrain, Lindblad won his first race with Prema, then he was back on the podium in Melbourne. In Barcelona, he won the Feature Race. He won again in Silverstone the two races of the weekend.
These results gave him the possibility to fight for the title in Monza against Leonardo Fornaroli, Gabriele Minì and Luke Browning. However, he had an awful weekend and ended the season fourth in the standings. Positively though, he was the best Rookie of the season.
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Lindblad and the “Antonelli rule”
After Max Verstappen’s debut in F1, the FIA decided to increase the age for the Super Licence to 18 years old. But things changed last season.
Last June, the FIA changed the Appendix L of the International Sporting Code. This change made possible the debut in Formula 1 of 17-year-old drivers who showed the talent and had the right titles.
Since the change happened when Andrea Kimi Antonelli was still a minor and there was speculation about his debut in F1 during the Grand Prix in Imola, it was called the “Antonelli rule”.
However, Antonelli, now a Mercedes driver, turned 18 in August. On the other hand, it became an opportunity for Red Bull. Arvid Lindblad turned 17 in August as well, and the variation in ISC might anticipate his coming to Formula 1 in 12 months.
Still, the Federation Internationale must analyse every case. The FIA will evaluate if the candidate has constantly demonstrated the skills and the maturity during the competitions. If that’s the case, they will be eligible to obtain the Super Licence at the age of 17.
Nothing is confirmed for Arvid Lindblad for now. But, seeing how fast things change in Formula 1, his debut in the category might not be too far away.
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