“Lando, I want you to remember me."
Arvid Lindblad will mark his debut Formula 1 season in 2026 after Red Bull announced he will drive for its second team, Racing Bulls.
At just 18, the Surrey teenager has enjoyed a rapid rise through the single-seater ranks.
His promotion follows a breakthrough campaign in Formula Two and years of Red Bull backing.
Lindblad will become Britain’s fifth F1 driver on the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell and Ollie Bearman.
With elite junior results, rare composure and visible pace, his story now moves into motorsport’s top tier.
From Virginia Water to the Red Bull Pipeline
Arvid Lindblad was born and raised in Virginia Water, Surrey, to a Swedish father and a mother with Indian heritage.
His motorsport journey began at the age of five at Daytona Sandown Park in Esher.
Early talent quickly translated into results, as he became the British Cadet Champion in 2019. He followed that with victories in the WSK Super Master Series in 2020 and the WSK Euro Series in 2021.
Before his Red Bull involvement, a key relationship helped shape his development.
Lindblad was put in touch with Formula E driver and 2025 champion Oliver Rowland, who remains his manager today.
That support coincided with his entry into the Red Bull Junior Team in 2021, when he was just 13. At the time, he was still a pupil at the Royal Grammar School in Guildford.
Even then, self-belief defined him. At 14, he approached Lando Norris at the Adria Karting Raceway in Italy and told the McLaren driver:
“Lando, I want you to remember me. I will see you in five years.”
Arvid Lindblad’s karting career concluded in 2022 with a podium at the CIK-FIA World Cup KZ2.
He moved into Formula 4 in 2023 and delivered immediate results. He finished fifth in the UAE Championship, third in the Italian Championship and fourth in Euro 4.
That same year, he claimed victory at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix, a landmark win that elevated his reputation.
The records continued to fall in 2024. Lindblad became the youngest race winner in Formula Three history with a sprint race victory in Bahrain at 16.
He won four races that season and finished fourth in the championship. Each step reinforced Red Bull’s belief in his trajectory.
Formula 2 Breakthrough
Arvid Lindblad’s step into Formula 2 with Campos Racing confirmed his readiness for elite competition.
His first F2 victory came in the sprint race on the Jeddah street circuit in April.
At 17 years and 243 days, he became the youngest race winner in the category’s history.
He followed that with a feature race victory in Barcelona in June.
Those results secured him a special FIA super licence dispensation at 17, in a similar fashion to Mercedes prospect Kimi Antonelli. With one round remaining in Abu Dhabi, Lindblad sits sixth in the F2 standings, having won two races in his rookie season.
The consistency of his performances has been as important as the victories.
Against a field stacked with future F1 talent, Lindblad has delivered under sustained pressure.
The numbers alone placed him at the centre of Red Bull’s succession planning long before the 2026 opportunity formally emerged.
Red Bull and the F1 Call-Up
Arvid Lindblad’s exposure to Formula 1 began earlier in 2025 with his first test at Imola in February.
He then made his official practice debut at the Mexican Grand Prix in October, replacing Max Verstappen. He caught immediate attention with the sixth-fastest lap of the session.
Lindblad said afterwards: “It was amazing.
“I am extremely grateful to everyone at Red Bull for the opportunity. Amazing to get my first official F1 session.
“I think I did decent, I felt comfortable in the car and I think the speed was okay.
“I think I could definitely go a bit quicker with a few more laps but considering it was my first time in a car that I’ve only done very limited running in F1.
“I mean, for example, this weekend I think it is 13, 14 seconds quicker than F2, so the step is enormous.
“So, all that considered, with the limited prep I’m happy with the job today.”
His promotion to F1 was confirmed after Isack Hadjar was moved up to Red Bull to partner Max Verstappen
Lindblad will partner with New Zealander Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls’ 2026 season.
Reflecting on the announcement, Lindblad said it was a “proud moment”, adding:
“2026 will be a big challenge and I know there’s a lot to learn, but I’m ready to work closely with the team and rise to it. I can’t wait to get started.”
Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said Lindblad “looks really promising”, praising his “pure speed”.
He said: “In one of the Formula 3 races [at Silverstone in 2024], he overtook, in one lap, I don’t know, 10 or 14 other drivers. He won the race from being last in these tricky conditions, wet, dry and so on.
“If I look back, I met him first in Portimao (in Portugal). Portimao have a very attractive go-kart circuit and we had a Formula 1 race and I met him and his father.
“And it was Arvid who was leading the conversation, with 12 years (of age) or so. So that also was something, which is not normal.
“But he had a clear vision and a clear way how to achieve it. And since then he moved steadily forward.”
Red Bull’s planning has been deliberate. The team structured his recent campaigns to ensure he accumulated enough points for a super licence.
He has also completed two official F1 practice runs, at the British and Mexico City Grands Prix, as part of his preparation for 2026.
Arvid Lindblad’s journey to Formula 1 has been fast, controlled and clinical.
From local karting in Esher to record-setting wins in F3 and F2, every step has strengthened his case.
His 2026 debut with Racing Bulls places him among an elite group of British drivers on the grid. Backed by Red Bull, guided by Oliver Rowland and trusted by Helmut Marko, Lindblad enters Formula 1 with momentum and expectation.
The teenager from Surrey now carries the weight of serious belief. The next phase of his career is about converting that belief into results.
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