When we last spoke to Arvid Lindblad, he was driving for Campos Racing and creating history in Formula 2 by stacking podiums, becoming the youngest race winner and earning his super license at 17–well before he could legally drive on the roads in the UK. And even back then, he spoke to us with the quiet certainty of someone who always knew where he was headed. And then, at the penultimate race weekend of 2025, the news broke: Arvid had been promoted to being an F1 driver with Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s junior and sister team on the grid. And while Arvid will race under the UK flag, his helmet pays homage to his mixed lineage, carrying the Swedish and Indian flags as well, representing his father's and mother’s heritage, respectively. Given his Indian origins, F1 fans in the country are pumped to have a representative among the top 20 drivers in the world as the sport’s popularity continues to grow in India.
Soon after the season ended, the 18-year-old made his way to Mumbai—his first visit to the city, carrying the weight of a lifelong dream finally realised. We meet at the Four Seasons Hotel, where Lindblad is doing interviews with the Indian press and answering questions with gusto and enthusiasm, talking about his leap from prodigy to Formula 1 driver.
The move comes at a pivotal moment: a sweeping regulation overhaul looms for 2026, a new partnership with Ford Motors and racing that will look and feel nothing like before in the absence of DRS. Having already sampled Red Bull’s 2025 F1 machinery and coming through the junior ladder at breakneck speed, Lindblad finds himself starting from a rare position of advantage: young enough to adapt instinctively, but experienced enough to understand the scale of the challenge.
In our conversation, he opened up about the promotion, the races that tested him most, what F1 really feels like, and why India—through family and heritage—continues to hold a special place in his journey:
Q. When did you first hear about your promotion and who was the first person you broke the news to?
Arvid Lindblad: I found out during the (race) week of Qatar and I was with my dad, so he was the first person I told. Obviously, he was super happy. It's something I've been dreaming of and working towards since I was five. It was a very special moment when I told him.
Q. Looking back at this season, which race weekend stands out as a favourite and which one tested you the most?
Arvid Lindblad: Barcelona was my favourite for sure. The one that tested me the most? I’d say Silverstone or Baku.
Q. What are the biggest lessons you're carrying forward from this year?
Arvid Lindblad: It's hard to say, because F2 is so specific and the championship is very different to F1. I've come through the ranks very quickly, so it feels like every year I've had to, like, step up on all sides. I've learned a lot more about myself. I think that's the best thing I can translate to next year.
Q. You had the chance to drive the Red Bull Racing car (RB21) a couple of times this season. What did that experience teach you about your driving and how demanding the F1 machinery is as compared to your F2 car?
Arvid Lindblad: F1 is just so much faster, better and nicer in every way. I think, in Silverstone, when I drove for the first time, it was 14 seconds quicker than what I did in F2! It just feels like everything's happening at twice the speed. And then, driving the car (pauses)… obviously, the Red Bulls were not the easiest car in 2025. I think even Max had been quite outspoken about that. It was not always his best friend. But it was good to be forced to adapt and try different things.
Q. But with the regulation overhaul for the 2026 season, things are going to be drastically different than what they were in 2025. How have the sim (simulator) sessions been for you? How have you been adjusting to the changes and how different is it really?
Arvid Lindblad: It's hard to really know now because the sims are good, but it's not the real track. But I think Formula 1 will be very different in 2026. There's going to be a lot more things to manage in the car so it will be challenging. When you step up from F2 to F1, there are already many things you need to be on top of and I think, next year is going to add even more to it. There's a lot of work I have to do with the team over the winter to try to get prepared, really try to utilise those first few tests and then we'll see.
Q. Can you give us some more details on the difference after the regulation change?
Arvid Lindblad: There's been a big regulation change on both the power unit and on the car itself so it handles very differently. The way the 2026 car generates grip and downforce is quite different to the 2025, so I don't know how much of a thing that would be for a driver. In the end, when you drive the car, you just drive it to the limit. Maybe it’s something for the engineers to look into. There are things that we can manage from within the car and on the power unit side, which was not something you had until now. A lot of things can be done via inputs, which will affect how the power unit delivers and stuff. This won't be easy, especially in a race when you're battling and fighting… I think those are the biggest things.
Q. Based on your experience so far, how do you expect racing and overtaking to evolve in 2026 under these conditions, along with the fact that there will be no more DRS?
Arvid Lindblad: It's an interesting question but I think no one will really know the answer to it until Melbourne. It's interesting what they've decided to do. Obviously, the DRS has changed… its now on the front and rear wing, but it's available for everyone on every straight so you won’t have that delta anymore. But like I said, Formula 1 will be very different in 2026 but that's exciting because everyone's starting from a new beginning in a sense… the teams, the drivers… everyone. So, it's going to be a really good opportunity to work closely with my team, have a good relationship and collaboration to improve and develop together. Also, there's a new power unit for everyone, but it's going to be the first time we're going to be with Ford next year, so that's a really new and exciting project.
Q. There was a moment in 2021 that had been going viral wherein you met Lando Norris during a race weekend as a fan and told him ‘you're going to see me on the grid in five years’. Have you always had this sense of clarity towards your path to F1?
Arvid Lindblad: I always believed that I could be in Formula 1 since I was five. I had that same belief that day, and I have the same belief and determination today as well. And I had kind of calculated at that point what was the most realistic timeline based on the way the rules were and when was the earliest I could reach Formula 1. And I knew that’s 2026. It's funny how it's kind of all happened now. It's a cool little story (grins). I just always believed it was possible and I just focused on working day by day. I'm obviously very proud now that it's come true and that I've stuck to the timeline.
Q. Now that you've stepped into the Racing Bulls (VCARB) environment, how has early work with the team been so far? How are you building your chemistry with your racing engineer?
Arvid Lindblad: It's been really good. They've been really welcoming, really friendly. Obviously, the team is very used to working with young drivers. So I'm very fortunate on that side and they've really tried to help me. I'm really looking forward to 2026 and I've already started my relationship a bit with my engineer. There's a lot of new things, which means there's a lot of opportunities to work closely together to improve things. I'm really looking forward to embarking on this journey together with them.
Q. In our previous interviews we've spoken about how the likes of Jos Verstappen, Dr Helmut Marko and Guillaume Rocquelin (Head of Red Bull Junior Academy) have helped you throughout your journey. As you make your way to F1 officially, who will you turn to now as your mentor and guide?
Arvid Lindblad: I have been very, very lucky to have a lot of support from people within the Red Bull family and especially among the Red Bull Junior program. But outside of Red Bull, I think I often turn to Ollie (Oliver Rowland), who I’ve known since I was seven. He’s always been there with me, supporting me in every way he can, every step of the ladder. He's also come to a lot of my races over the past few years and we even started a karting team together in the UK. So, I think externally from the Red Bull group, he's always been a mentor to me and someone who always tried to help me and that won't change.
As far as Rocky (Guillaume) and Dr Marco go, things have changed a lot, as you may know. Rocky is very involved in the junior programs and is now stepping up, he'll have less involvement with me, but I have a very good relationship with him and with Dr. Marco, so I'll try and keep in contact with them. But also, I don't think that door is shut as soon as you make the step, I think it's also about putting some effort in. I have a very good relationship with both of them and I'm very lucky to have worked with them over the past few years. Obviously, things will change, but I don't see a reason why it has to completely stop.
Q. If you had to name someone, who were you hoping would make it to the grid next year with you?
Arvid Lindblad: It’s interesting to talk about friendships and relationships when you’re competitors. It's always a little bit awkward because obviously you want to have a nice environment when you're off the track because if things are always super serious, it takes the energy away and it's not always fun. So you want to get that balance right, but then obviously when you're driving, you're there for yourself and the killer instinct kicks in. So if I'm being honest, it's not really something I’ve thought about. I mean, I have a good relationship with a lot of guys in F2, but I was just focused on performing myself. I think everyone's on their own journey and we don't know what other people are doing so it's always hard to comment. I have a very good relationship with both the teammates I had this year, Pepe and Nicola, and I wish them the best. I've known Nicola for a really long time and we’re really good friends. But yeah, it’s a tough one.
Q. So this season is different. You were in Mumbai as an F1 driver. What was it like? What did you explore?
Arvid Lindblad: It was my second time in India and my first time in Mumbai and I really, really enjoyed it. We spent a few days going around the city, trying to feel and expose myself to Indian culture. Earlier, I had only experienced Indian culture through my grandparents but seeing it there, it is different and I really enjoyed that. We went to the Gate of India and explored the food markets, tried all different kinds of food as well. It was great to see a new city because I went to Delhi last time. India is different than what I'm used to, but I enjoy coming here and seeing new things. And yeah, I'm very much looking forward to coming back to Delhi again in March for the Red Bull Show Run. I think it's really exciting to see that the guys have organised a really amazing event and I think it's going to be super cool for me to have my first show run as an F1 driver in India, given my background and connection with the country. So I'm really looking forward to it.
Q. Lastly, a lot of people draw parallels between Max Verstappen and you given how quickly you rose through the ranks like him, how young you entered F2 and the mindset and driving style also seems similar. Do you see these similarities and what do you think of this comparison?
Arvid Lindblad: I mean, it's obviously nice to be compared to a four-time world champion and it's cool that people have picked up on some similarities. But it's not something that I’ve thought about... I'm just focused on what I can do better and getting the most out of myself. That being said, Max is performing at an extremely high level, and the world knows how good he is. So it's cool to be compared to him… There’s definitely a lot I can learn from him, so I’m just going to do the best I can.
