Arvid Lindblad’s new boss thinks he already shares one key talent with Max Verstappen

Follow us on Google Discover

Formula 1 will welcome another rookie to the grid in 2026 after Racing Bulls announced the promotion of Arvid Lindblad.

Arvid Lindblad has been on Red Bull’s radar for a long time, and his victory in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship at the start of the year earned him enough superlicense points to be eligible for Formula 1.

The British teenager will become the fourth-youngest driver in Formula 1 history when he makes his debut at next year’s Australian Grand Prix.

Who is going to win the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Racing Bulls had a tough decision on their hands after learning that Isack Hadjar would replace Yuki Tsunoda at Red Bull in 2026.

Liam Lawson earned a contract extension and will mentor Lindblad, with Tsunoda the man missing out across both Red Bull-backed teams.

The 18-year-old’s Formula 2 campaign has had some very impressive moments, but he wasn’t in contention to beat new McLaren recruit Leonardo Fornaroli in the championship heading into the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.

However, Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has called Lindblad ‘exceptional’ and pinpointed a skill that he already possesses, which sounds eerily like Max Verstappen.

READ MORE: Who is 2026 Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad? Everything you need to know

Alan Permane lauds Arvid Lindblad’s feedback after ‘intelligent’ Formula 1 outings

Permane gave an interview to Formula 1’s official website after news of Lindblad’s signing had been confirmed.

He said about the teenager: “He had an exceptional outing in Mexico in the Red Bull in FP1.

“He was very, very quick, and both Red Bull and Racing Bulls were very impressed with that drive.

“It’s lots of different things that have led to his promotion.

“Helmut [Marko] believes in him – and that’s a great thing to have, to have the backing of Dr Marko, who has been following his career closely.

“His feedback is very good. He’s intelligent – you can tell that when you talk to him. He’ll learn quickly, I’m sure. If a driver has got spare capacity, it’s always good.”

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies previously spoke to The Guardian about Verstappen and said: “I’d like to oversimplify the situation. We are here to conceive, to design, to produce the fastest car possible.

“When you do that, everything gets sorted. So that’s where the focus goes, not in terms of: ‘Do I need to manage that? … or that?’.

“Max is a huge asset in the car, he’s a huge asset outside of the car. He’s part of the project, he’s not judging the project from outside, he’s pulling the project every day from inside.”

Verstappen himself even spoke about his feedback and explained: “What I like is the technical questions throughout the weekend, back at the factory, useful meetings. It seems like that’s all working well.”

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Arvid Lindblad admits he might not be 100% ready for Formula 1 ahead of 2026 debut

Lindblad only graduated to racing in single-seater cars in 2022 when he finished 17th in a shortened Italian F4 Championship.

A Macau GP champion, Lindblad won twice in Formula 2 this season, setting three fastest laps and securing four podiums.

However, he was sitting below fellow Red Bull junior Pepe Marti before his switch to Formula E, and Red Bull-linked Alex Dunne is also above him in the standings with one race weekend to go.

Lindblad has admitted he doesn’t feel completely ready for Formula 1, but this isn’t entirely unusual for young drivers.

Kimi Raikkonen made a similar admission before his debut in 2001, and Toto Wolff was trying to alleviate the pressure on Kimi Antonelli ahead of his first F1 campaign this year.

Red Bull have to treat Lindblad in the same way, but Permane is already seeing plenty of potential in the 18-year-old.