Arvid Lindblad made his Formula 1 debut during the British Grand Prix, stepping in for Yuki Tsunoda in FP1.
The Red Bull junior is undergoing extensive preparation behind the scenes, as the team views him as a potential future star. Recently, Lindblad received special clearance for an FIA superlicence after reaching the 40-point mark in January.
Lindblad’s demeanor during private tests has been described as ‘perfect,’ allowing him to accumulate significant mileage for junior team Racing Bulls in TPC outings. The 17-year-old is being considered for a possible F1 seat.
He made history in F2 this season as the youngest winner in the category. Currently sitting sixth in the standings ahead of the British Grand Prix, he aims for a successful season as Red Bull deliberates on their options for 2026.
Helmut Marko has indicated that Lindblad is being groomed for a ‘nightmare’ scenario should Max Verstappen face a race suspension; he currently has nine penalty points, with two expiring after the Austrian GP. Lindblad’s participation in FP1 at Silverstone brings him one step closer to F1.
Lindblad Matches Tsunoda’s Pace at British GP
In FP1, Lindblad finished in P14 with a time of 1:27.958. Although his performance wasn’t as stellar as F2 rival Alex Dunne, who placed fourth for McLaren in Austria, he was only half a second behind Verstappen, who ended up P10.
Tsunoda returned to the RB21 in FP2 and finished P15, six tenths off Verstappen’s pace, a significant gap compared to Lindblad’s earlier session. Reportedly, Lindblad’s performance was ‘marginally better’ than Tsunoda’s when factoring in track evolution, which made the cars ‘a second quicker’ in the afternoon.
Tsunoda’s Future in Jeopardy as Lindblad Aims for 2026
Desperate for results, Tsunoda finds himself on a challenging streak, having scored only seven points since taking over from Liam Lawson at the Japanese GP. He appears poised to lose his seat at the end of the year, with little chance of remaining in F1 for 2026.
On the other hand, Lindblad is optimistic about joining Racing Bulls in 2026, eager to make his mark under the new technical regulations. He has emphasized that he doesn’t want to be seen as just the ‘next Verstappen’ but rather hopes to create his unique legacy in F1.
