Laurent Mekies amazed by Arvid Lindblad onboard footage amid claims he could join Racing Bulls in 2026

Follow us on Google Discover

There’s a chance that Arvid Lindblad is the only rookie on the Formula 1 grid in 2026.

The Formula 1 driver market has been very calm this year, and only three open seats remain for next season.

Red Bull have yet to decide on Max Verstappen’s teammate, and Racing Bulls still have two open seats.

Yuki Tsunoda is under serious pressure, while it appears as though Isack Hadjar is the latest driver being prepared for a Red Bull promotion.

It’s yet to be seen what will happen to Liam Lawson, but the man who is set to complicate all of Red Bull’s decisions is Arvid Lindblad.

Ted Kravitz thinks Lindblad’s chances of being in F1 next season are increasing, and Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has been thoroughly impressed by the 18-year-old Formula 2 star.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad including his parents

Laurent Mekies says Arvid Lindblad was ‘incredible’ during FP1 session in Mexico City

Mekies was speaking on the Talking Bull Podcast, and when asked about Lindblad’s FP1 session at the Mexico City Grand Prix, he said: “Honestly, incredible. Normally, when you have a young driver jumping in for FP1, you have one or two guys coming to him and saying please don’t take too much risk.

“I think we were probably close to 15 people going to him before everyone saying, look, please, actually just don’t take risks, have fun, but not too much fun.

“We had the new package for that race that was only on that car. So we said, we really need it.

“So, he did what he did without touching a kerb, without putting a wheel on the grass. It was very impressive.

“He’s been doing an amazing job; he’s now 18, it’s easy to forget. He has been very, very impressive.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Red Bull team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies

Laurent Mekies explains how Max Verstappen was analysing Arvid Lindblad’s data at the Mexico City GP

Mekies was asked whether Verstappen was helping when he was on the pit wall during Lindblad’s FP1 session, and he replied: “Of course, he was analysing the data. He was trying to use every single piece to understand what the condition was on track, what the current car limitations were, and what he was going to find when he was going to jump in the car.

“He knew what setup was on Arvid, what setup was on Yuki.

“He was seeing corner by corner live in this data how the car was reacting to their inputs and it was as close as it could get for him to be driving in the car.

“That also gives you the level of intensity that he puts into it. He could have said, well, you know it’s a rookie driving the car, why bother.

“It’s a dirty track, nine rookies on track, but no, that tells you really the level of the competition.”

READ MORE: What Red Bull are saying ‘internally’ about Max Verstappen and 2026 driver plans

What has Arvid Lindblad’s manager now said about his 2026 Formula 1 chances?

If Lindblad is promoted to a Racing Bulls seat, then it appears as though either Tsunoda or Lawson will miss out.

Fans believe Lindblad and Lawson are the most likely combination, but Red Bull have given themselves until the end of the season to make a final decision.

The 18-year-old’s recent form in Formula 2 hasn’t been brilliant, but teams are taking less notice of what happens in the junior series, given the difference between F2 and F1.

Lindblad’s manager thinks he’ll be a better fit for Racing Bulls than Lawson, believing that he has the ‘mental capacity’ to avoid similar issues to his predecessors in the team.

Red Bull have given plenty of young drivers their Formula 1 debuts over the years, and Lindblad looks like the latest driver to join those ranks next season.