Red Bull are rapidly preparing this top talent: Is he the next Verstappen or Vettel?

With a Swedish father and a mother from India, Lindblad, holding British nationality, is already a unique mix of cultures in himself. Lindblad has been impressive from a young age. First in karting, and also in formula cars, the Brit was immediately successful.

Since 2021, Lindblad has been part of the Red Bull training programme and much is expected of the still very young driver. In 2024, he already drove a Formula 1 car for Red Bull, namely the RB8 during a demo run in Houston. In 2025, he already did a test for Racing Bulls at Imola and he recently raced in the RB7 against players from the Leeds United on the British team's pitch.

All these performances were followed last week by the news that Red Bull have applied for an early superlicence for him at the FIA. Lindblad has the necessary points, but being 17 years old, he can only get a superlicense with the permission of the FIA.

On 8 August, Lindblad turns 18 and can definitely get his superlicence, but Red Bull hope to get Lindblad a licence sooner. With the possible suspension hanging over the head of Max Verstappen, a reserve driver with a licence would also be welcome.

It's clear that Red Bull is working on Lindblad's debut in Formula 1. This season he will likely make one or more FP1 appearances for Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. This way, Red Bull can assess whether he is ready for a debut in 2026. The fact that Red Bull are applying for the superlicence early says a lot about how Lindblad is currently doing within the team.

All the confidence from Red Bull is obviously based on something. After titles in karting, Lindblad finished third in the prestigious Italian Formula 4 Championship, won the Formula 4 race in Macau, and earned significant points for his superlicence in New Zealand with a title in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

In his debut season in Formula 2, Lindblad immediately lived up to all the high expectations. Racing for Campos Racing, Lindblad has been faster than his more experienced teammate Pepe Marti all season, and is currently in third place in the standings after his first feature race win in Spain.

For Red Bull, Lindblad's breakthrough comes at a convenient time. Yuki Tsunoda is not performing as expected at Red Bull Racing, Liam Lawson has not been making an impact at Racing Bulls since his return, and Isack Hadjar might be needed alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing in 2026. A promotion of Lindblad to Racing Bulls in 2026 is therefore getting closer.