From Sandown Park to Silverstone Grand Prix FP1 debut – Who is Red Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad?

There might be a brand new identify on the timing screens for Free Observe 1 at Silverstone this weekend, as Crimson Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad jumps into Yuki Tsunoda’s RB21 throughout the one-hour session.

The 17-year-old has made loads of waves in junior system racing during the last couple of years, incomes rave evaluations from many followers and pundits. However most significantly, Lindblad has impressed members of the Red Bull hierarchy, together with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.

After a number of Testing of Earlier Automotive (TPC) runs this yr, he now has a chance to drive next to Max Verstappen on home soil. Right here is every thing you must know in regards to the younger British expertise…

Motorsport household and karting

Born to a Swedish father, an Indian mom, and right into a motorsport-loving household, Lindblad grew up in Surrey, England, however he began on two wheels reasonably than 4. Lindblad’s father had been a motocross rider and at three-years-old, purchased his son a motorcycle.

However along with his mom wanting him to have life stability, ruling that faculty was a non-negotiable and Lindblad preferring four-wheel racing, they switched to karting at 5 along with his first karting enterprise at Surrey’s Daytona Sandown Park circuit.

He received a number of competitions each within the UK and in Europe, together with the 2018 British Karting Championship, which he claimed driving for Oliver Rowland Motorsport. The present Formulation E driver and Lindblad met when he was seven and, since then, the previous Renault and Williams Improvement Driver has served as a mentor.

Lindblad’s most profitable yr in karting got here in 2021, when he joined the likes of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli in successful the WSK Euro Collection, earlier than popping out on prime of the WSK Closing Cup. This was in his first yr as a part of the Crimson Bull Junior programme, having signed to them on the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, aged simply 13.

Change to single-seaters

The Briton’s first full single-seater season began with the 2023 Italian F4 Championship the place, helped by his six victories, he completed third within the standings.

Lindblad additionally completed fourth within the Euro 4 Championship and fifth in Formulation 4 UAE, and later that yr, he received the F4 race across the well-known streets of Macau.

In 2024, Lindblad stepped as much as Formulation 3 with PREMA Racing, turning into the youngest winner within the championship’s historical past at 16-years-old when he received the Bahrain Dash Race on his debut. He completed the yr with 4 victories, which included a historic double at Silverstone – the place he turned the primary driver ever to win each race on a single F3 weekend.

Lindblad went into the ultimate spherical at Monza as the one rookie in with an opportunity of claiming the title, earlier than finally ending fourth within the standings.

At present, Lindblad is within the midst of his debut Formulation 2 season with Campos Racing, and to date, the Crimson Bull expertise has shone. Till his retirement at Spherical 7’s Dash Race in Austria, the rookie had completed each race within the prime 10.

He has additionally received two races – the Jeddah Dash and the Barcelona Function – and is presently sixth within the standings with 79 factors, trailing chief Richard Verschoor by 35 factors with half the season remaining.

How good is Lindblad?

Lindblad’s velocity is evident, however his work ethic and talent to adapt has been eye-catching. Leaping up from F4 to F3 is just not straightforward, however his adaptability impressed many, particularly PREMA Group Principal Rene Rosin, who mentioned after Silverstone final yr he had not anticipated it.

That development has continued in F2, and present Group Principal Adrián Campos Jr defined in Austria why he thinks that is the case.

“Arvid is a really sturdy driver,” mentioned Campos Jr. “While you communicate with him you don’t discover he’s 17-years-old. That’s his strongest level, he’s actually mature. It’s like talking with an previous man who has a 17-year-old physique.”

That maturity has additionally been acknowledged by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, who granted Lindblad a Super license before his 18th birthday – as they did for Mercedes’ Antonelli final yr. Because the FIA Worldwide Sporting Code states: “On the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have not too long ago and constantly demonstrated excellent skill and maturity in single-seater system automotive competitors could also be granted a Tremendous Licence on the age of 17-years-old.”

This marks what has been a speedy rise for Lindblad, as in two years he has gone from F4 to the top of the game. If he continues to carry out simply as he has all through his profession, this run out at Silverstone may not be the one time we see his identify on the F1 timing screens.