FIA World Motor Sport Council approves super licence for Red Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has confirmed that a request to grant F2 driver and Red Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad a super licence prior to his 18th birthday has been granted.

Red Bull's British junior driver Arvid Lindblad has been granted an F1 super licence after the team's request for a special exemption for their 17-year-old protege was granted by the FIA.

Drivers are required to have a super licence to race in Formula One. However, it is not usually granted until a driver turns 18 while they are also required to have enough points to qualify for one through finishing positions in other formula over the previous three years.

But, in a revision to the rule made last year, dispensation can now be granted by the governing body to a 17-year-old too if they have "recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition".

Lindblad is competing in the FIA Formula 2, and he is currently third in the standings, having already two races. He won the Formula Regional Oceania Championship at the start of the year - which secured him enough qualifying points for a super licence once he turned 18 - and finished fourth in his sole season of F3 in 2024.

A note from the World Motor Sport Council meeting – which took place in Macau on June 10 – reads: “The FIA has received a request to grant a Super Licence to Arvid Lindblad prior to his 18th birthday.

“After considering the information presented in support of this request, the World Council found that the driver has recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition and therefore approved the request.”