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

Lindblad has been marked out as a potential future star by Red Bull since he was 12 years old.

Discussing the company’s young driver programme, Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said last year that Lindblad “looks really promising”, praising his “pure speed”.

Red Bull have been working since last year to ready Lindblad for a potential F1 debut in 2026. They planned a programme for this season that would earn him enough points to secure an F1 ‘superlicence’, which is needed to race in grands prix.

He has 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], he overtook, in one lap, I don't know, 10 or 14 other drivers. He won the race from being last in these tricky conditions, wet, dry and so on.

“If I look back, I met him first in Portimao (in Portugal). Portimao have a very attractive go-kart circuit and we had a Formula 1 race and I met him and his father. And it was Arvid who was leading the conversation, with 12 years (of age) or so. So that also was something which is not normal.

“But he had a clear vision and a clear way how to achieve it. And since then he moved steadily forward.”

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

He was born and grew up in Virginia Water in Surrey and is managed by Britain’s Formula E world champion Oliver Rowland.