Why Red Bull is right to avoid a second Verstappen scenario

Max Verstappen will undoubtedly not race differently during the Grands Prix of Canada and Austria, even though there's a chance he could earn a penalty point on his license for an infringement, thereby being suspended for the following Formula 1 race. This way of driving always involves a certain risk, although the Red Bull Racing driver is probably smart enough not to let it come to a one race ban.

If it does come to that, it's already clear that Liam Lawson or Isack Hadjar - one of the Racing Bulls drivers - will temporarily replace Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. Ayumu Iwasa, the reserve driver for Racing Bulls, will then have the opportunity to step in at Red Bull's sister team.

Arvid Lindblad is thus skipped, whether he has been granted a Superlicense by that time or not. As to the exact reason why Red Bull chose not to give the 17-year-old British driver a chance, is a matter of speculation. That it is a wise decision to keep Lindblad in Formula 2 this season is beyond doubt.

Why throw a young talent to the lions when he is not yet ready? Certainly, the youngster's potential is enormous. No one doubts that Lindblad will eventually make it to F1. But his first months in F2 have shown that he is not consistently in top form throughout a weekend in the feeder class.

He won his first main race just recently in Spain, after having been on the podium several times in sprint races. Not long ago, Lindblad told GPblog among others that he is not entirely satisfied with his first months in F2, and sees significant room for improvement in himself.

Moreover, Lindblad would be under enormous scrutiny if he were to make his F1 debut now. Labeled as the new Max Verstappen, every misstep would be analyzed to death. In other words; why subject him to that immense pressure now when it can be done next season, after completing a season in F2 and having made the necessary miles in older F1 cars away from the limelight?

So no, the path that Lindblad is taking is different from that of Max Verstappen. While the Dutch driver was given the chance by the Austrians well before his eighteenth birthday, they have chosen a path of gradual progress for Lindblad. And Lindblad himself need not despair. His time in F1 will come, and no one doubts that.