Who is Arvid Lindblad? Red Bull junior joining Racing Bulls for F1 2026

Red Bull has announced that Arvid Lindblad will graduate to Formula 1 next season, joining Racing Bulls as one of its drivers for 2026.

The 18-year-old Briton becomes one of the youngest drivers in F1 history and the latest talent to rise through Red Bull’s junior programme.

Lindblad’s promotion follows his recent superlicence approval from the FIA, which allowed him to take part in Formula 1 race weekends despite being under the usual minimum age of 18.

Earlier this year, he made his F1 debut in FP1 at Silverstone, driving Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull in front of his home crowd.

Since joining Red Bull’s junior programme in 2022, Lindblad has enjoyed a meteoric rise. He made his single-seater debut in Italian F4 with Van Amersfoort Racing, then moved to Prema for 2023, finishing third in Italian F4 and fourth in Euro 4, while also winning the Macau F4 race.

A breakthrough season in 2024 saw Lindblad step up to Formula 3, where he became the youngest feature race winner in the series’ history and achieved a historic double win at Silverstone – the first ever in F3. He finished the year as the highest-scoring rookie and fourth overall.

Lindblad sits seventh in the F2 standings

In 2025, Lindblad moved to Formula 2 with Campos Racing. He quickly established himself as a frontrunner, becoming the youngest race winner and pole-sitter in F2 history, claiming victories in Jeddah and Spain, and finishing sixth the championship standings.

Red Bull’s decision to promote Lindblad comes amid challenges in its F1 driver line-up this season.

Liam Lawson’s brief stint in the main team, coupled with Tsunoda’s struggles, left Red Bull looking for its next star.

How has Arvid Lindblad got a superlicence?

Red Bull had requested an exemption for the hotly-tipped Lindblad, who has the 40 points required to be granted a superlicence but remains a few months away from the minimum age, as he turns 18 in August.

The request is thought to have been made several months ago, perhaps with the view of running Lindblad in a few free practice sessions. However, the exemption could become more relevant after world champion Max Verstappen‘s penalty for his clash with George Russell in the Spanish Grand Prix brought him close to a race ban.

It left Verstappen just one penalty point away from a race ban going into the Canadian Grand Prix and the following race in Austria, after which two points were removed from his superlicence.

According to the FIA, Lindblad “has recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition” and the governing body therefore approved Red Bull’s request with a special dispensation.

With this licence, the British teenager can now be called up by Red Bull or Racing Bulls as a reserve or even a race driver if needed.

The road to the F1 superlicence

Lindblad became a full member of the Red Bull Junior Team in 2022 after making his single-seater debut in the Italian F4 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing.

Having moved to Prema for 2023, he finished third in Italian F4 and fourth in the Euro 4 Championship, also winning the Macau F4 race.

In 2024, Lindblad had a breakthrough season as he made the jump to Formula 3, also with Prema.

He won the season-opening sprint race in Bahrain and became the youngest feature race winner in F3 history in Barcelona later that year.

He then achieved a historic double win at Silverstone, the first in F3 history, and finished the season as the highest-scoring rookie and fourth overall.

Lindblad moved up to Formula 2 for 2025, and he has been a consistent frontrunner with Campos Racing.

He became the youngest race winner and youngest pole-sitter in F2 history, winning races in Jeddah and Spain.