Lindblad Races Toward F1 Debut With No Time To Rest
Arvid Lindblad’s whirlwind journey to Formula 1 just kicked into high gear. The young Brit barely has time to catch his breath after his Formula 2 season ended before diving into preparations for his 2026 F1 debut with Racing Bulls.
The official announcement came on Tuesday between the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. Lindblad celebrated in style, winning the F2 Sprint Race at Yas Marina Circuit just days after the news broke.
“It’s been good,” Lindblad said after his victory. “Obviously it was very nice that the news came out on Tuesday. Very excited for next year.”
But he wasn’t getting ahead of himself. “It’s still a Saturday, so we’re looking forward to tomorrow because that’s where the real points are.”
While the announcement was fresh, the decision wasn’t exactly a shock to F1 insiders. It had been an open secret that Lindblad would make his debut, with Isack Hadjar moving up to Red Bull Racing and Yuki Tsunoda losing his seat.
Red Bull’s Late Call
When did Lindblad actually find out about his big break?
“It was done in Qatar, that’s when I found out,” he told GPblog.
Surprisingly, there wasn’t a clear moment when he realized F1 was on the horizon. “There was no clear point when I knew it was possible. I’ve been on the Red Bull program now for quite a few years. I’ve come through the ranks with them and I’ve been working very close with them. So I knew that there was a lot of trust in me.”
His focus remained on his current season. “I was just focused on the performance this year in F2 and I knew that if I did a good job, opportunities would come.”
It was Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s now-former top advisor, who delivered the life-changing news.
“I was absolutely over the moon when I found out,” Lindblad said. “It’s been my goal since when I started this journey when I was five. So obviously something I was super happy to hear about.”
Lindblad finished his first and only F2 season in sixth place overall, capping it with a ninth-place finish in Abu Dhabi’s feature race.
No Holiday Break
Most drivers might take a well-earned break after a season, but not Lindblad. He’s diving straight into F1 prep.
“It will be a busy winter,” he admitted. “Next year is going to be very different in F1 with the regulation changes, and it starts very soon. We already have our first test at the end of January.”
The young driver knows he’s facing a steep learning curve.
“I’m not really going to get a break and there’s going to be a lot of working with the team to get up to speed on my side and to learn as much as I can.”
The jump from F2 to F1 is always challenging, but Lindblad thinks 2026 will be especially demanding.
“When you go from F2 to F1 it’s a massive step, and I think next year it’s going to be even more so, because there’s going to be even more things to manage from within the car.”
One thing’s certain – the countdown to Barcelona’s pre-season test in January has already begun for Formula 1’s newest driver.
