Marko explains why Red Bull pushes on with Arvid Lindblad's on-track activities
On the back of Arvid Lindblad's most recent F1 test outing, Red Bull's motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko has opened up about the Briton's role in the Milton Keynes-based outfit's junior programme.
Arvid Lindblad, who is a British and Swedish racing driver and competes in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for Campos Racing as part of the Red Bull Junior Team, has completed a test outing with Racing Bulls’ 2023 AT04 on Monday, splitting TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] duties with fellow Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa.
The young driver, who was born and raised in Virginia Water to a Swedish father and a mother of Indian heritage, began competitive kart racing aged seven, winning several national and continental titles.
A protégé of Oliver Rowland, Lindblad graduated to junior formulae aged 15, competing in Italian F4 from 2022 to 2023, and finishing third in the latter with Prema.
After winning in Formula 4 at the 2023 Macau Grand Prix, Lindblad progressed to FIA Formula 3 in 2024, achieving several wins and placing fourth. He then won his first title at the Formula Regional Oceania Championship with M2 Competition. Lindblad graduated to FIA Formula 2 with Campos for the 2025 season, becoming the youngest winner in F2 history.
Red Bull's motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko has now confirmed that Lindblad is set to take part in Friday practice at Silverstone's British Grand Prix
Asked whether Lindblad is ready for Formula 1 despite his young age, Marko reckoned that the Sweidish-British driver has so far displayed an outstanding performance.
"He spent half a day in the car on Monday in Italy to prepare. And he'll also be in the car for Friday's practice at Silverstone. He stands out for his mental strength and self-confidence; his Swedish-Indian mix is clearly very good for motorsport.
'We're preparing in case something really happens to Max Verstappen regarding his penalty points. We currently have two reserve drivers: Lindblad and Ayumu Iwasa, whose Formula 1 schedules clash with his appearances in Japan."
"We even had a deal with another team for some races; at one point, a reserve driver was even scheduled for three teams. It's not that easy to find someone who's in top shape. And that's why Lindblad is in the car now."
With Red Bull's junior program going superb this season, Marko stressed that the Milton Keynes-based outfit does not want to "buy" stars, but intends to find junior drivers who can become successful drivers as their career develops.
"We have Juan Pablo Montoya's son in Formula 2, and an Irishman in England who leads the championship there. And a Bulgarian, Nikola Tsolov, who won Formula 3 in Monte Carlo and really looks like a racing driver.
"We have a lot of talent in the pipeline, which is fun, yes. We're also constantly developing the program, true to the motto: We don't buy stars, we make them. But Formula 1 is currently a tough place."
