Isack Hadjar joining Red Bull and Arvid Lindblad, 18, gets 2026 F1 drive at Racing Bulls

Lindblad has been shown as a potential star of the future by Red Bull since he was 12 years old.

Speaking of the company’s young driver programme, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said last year that Lindblad looked “really promising” and praised its “sheer speed”.

Red Bull has been working since last year to prepare Lindblad for a possible F1 race in 2026. They have planned a program for this season that will earn him enough points to earn the F1 ‘super licence’ required to compete in the Grand Prix.

He completed two runs in F1 practice sessions at the British and Mexico City Grands Prix.

Marko said: “In one of the Formula 3 races [at Silverstone in 2024]On one lap he overtook, I don’t know, 10 or 14 riders. He finished last in the race in wet, dry and similar challenging conditions.

“Looking back, I first met him in Portimao (Portugal). Portimao had a very attractive go-kart track and we had a Formula 1 race, I met him and his father. And the person leading the conversation was Arvid, who was 12 years old. So that was something that was not normal either.”

“But he had a clear vision and a clear path on how to achieve it. And he’s progressed steadily ever since.”

Lindblad has won two races in F2 this year and sits sixth in the championship heading into the final round in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

He was born and raised in Virginia Water in Surrey and is run by England’s Formula E world champion Oliver Rowland.