‘A very special moment’ – Lindblad hopes his FP1 chance at Silverstone is ‘start of a new chapter’

Arvid Lindblad will join a very exclusive club on Friday when he takes to the track in the RB21 for Free Practice 1 with Red Bull. He will become just the second driver under 18 years old to participate in a Grand Prix weekend.

The only other driver who can say that? Max Verstappen.

Lindblad will be across the garage from the four-time World Champion for his F1 weekend bow, a prospect he is very much looking forward to after a journey with Red Bull that started five years ago.

“It's a very special moment, having it here at home in Silverstone and doing it in the Red Bull as well,” Lindblad says. “I joined the programme at the end of 2020, and this is my fifth year with Red Bull.

“I've really grown, risen through the ranks and become the driver I am because of Red Bull. They've helped develop me into who I am today, and to have the opportunity to share that opportunity with them is something I'm really looking forward to. Hopefully, it’s the start of a new chapter.”

That new chapter is just the latest in a story going back to his years in karting. The Briton joined the Junior Team in full capacity at just 14 years of age, and has enjoyed a rapid ascent through the junior categories ever since.

Lindblad has been earmarked by Red Bull for some time, and his ascent up the ranks and FP1 appearance is a vote of confidence in his talent from a team renowned for putting young drivers into Formula 1.

“I’m developing massively there," the Briton adds. "I'm very fortunate to work with Dr [Helmut] Marko, who's known for his ability in spotting talent with the likes of World Champions in Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

“Also, ‘Rocky’ [Guillaume Rocquelin] as well, who was Sebastian’s race engineer, he’s been really involved in the programme over the last couple of years. Being a World Champion engineer himself, he knows what it takes to be the best, and working with him, having him push me to become better all the time, has been a massive aid to my development.

“So, I'm extremely grateful to Red Bull. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for them, and to have this moment is going to be very special.”

'I will try to just stay in the moment'

Whether the moment will truly sink in on the day or not, Lindblad can’t say. But the occasion has certainly been surreal, as he gears up to compete with the F1 team and share the track with drivers he’s grown up idolising.

“We'll see when it all happens, but Lewis [Hamilton] was somewhat of an idol growing up, so to share the track with him tomorrow will be something very special.

“Then obviously all the engineers that you see on the pit wall and Christian [Horner] and everyone that you see on the TV, and you're going to be talking and working with them, it's really cool.

“But I will try to just stay in the moment and take it in my stride and just stay focused on the job at hand.”

While the 17-year-old will be in the cockpit for the first time for Red Bull, he is no stranger to how the team goes about their work, having sat in on multiple debriefs in the past.

Going from a passive role to being the driver providing the feedback and actively involved in the Grand Prix weekend is another step in the learning curve, and a challenge he feels more than prepared for.

“Red Bull have helped my development," he continues. "I have sat in quite a few debriefs. I've been working with the engineers, and they've helped mould me in a way you could say, so I know exactly what sort of feedback they want, what is good feedback to them.

“I try to carry that into F2 as well, and in everything I do. But having worked with them, seen it as a sort of fly on the wall, it’s taught me what's required.

“I think now I'm subconsciously doing what they want. I know what's required of me on the feedback side, and I'm looking forward to driving the car and then being the one sitting in the debrief talking and not just listening in the background.”

Sticking to the timeline

Ahead of his Silverstone F1 bow, clips have circulated on social media of Lindblad approaching Lando Norris for an autograph, and claiming he’ll be seeing the British driver in five years’ time.

Four years on from that, he’s now set to share the Silverstone circuit with the McLaren driver. While he’s targeting a more permanent seat in the future, the Red Bull junior says being ahead of schedule is hardly a bad thing.

With future opportunities potentially on the table, he’s under no illusions that his performance this weekend could go some way in aiding his chances of a future F1 drive in 2026 and beyond.

“I'm a bit ahead of that timeline, but I'm not a Formula 1 driver yet!” he laughs. “When I started this journey when I was five, I was the same. When I was 14, that day, it was like an innocent thing, but I'm very determined to stick to the timeline. I've risen through the ranks very quickly, and I'm on that path at the moment.

“We'll just see what happens. Things also depend on the run plan, so it's hard to judge the performance from the timesheets. But it was impressive what Alex Dunne did last week [taking P4 in his maiden FP1 for McLaren in Austria], and I'm looking forward to driving the car. I want to perform well, to do a good job in everything and be fast.

“From my point of view, when I started this journey, I wanted to become Formula 1 World Champion, and I'm just very proud and excited to make the next step towards that.

“I’m not a Formula 1 driver yet, but it's a step in that direction. Going from watching on the sofa when I was four or five years old wanting to be there one day, to being in one of those sessions, it's a very special moment.”