Arvid Lindblad nails Mexico FP1 as RB weighs up next move
There’s a certain poise you can’t fake in Formula 1. Arvid Lindblad showed it in Mexico City.
Handed Max Verstappen’s Red Bull for FP1, the 17-year-old Red Bull Junior climbed in, kept his head, and—crucially—kept the car in one piece. No drama, no scrapes, no scattergun radio. Just tidy laps and useful feedback on a circuit that punishes hesitation and overreach in equal measure.
RB team principal Laurent Mekies, who’s been taking a long, hard look at the junior ladder this year, liked what he saw.
“It’s very tough to jump into an FP1 and get straight to work,” he told reporters after the session. “Limited tyres, not many laps, and the pressure is real. He stayed calm, gave the right feedback and didn’t put a foot wrong. We were impressed.”
That’s the line every rookie wants to hear—from the right voice, at the right time.
Lindblad’s FP1 cameo followed a rare FIA Super Licence exemption granted before the British Grand Prix in July, which allowed him to make his first practice appearance a month before turning 18. The Mexico run marked another step on a fast, measured climb: two wins and two more podiums in Formula 2 this season, and a growing sense inside the Red Bull system that he belongs in the conversation for a 2026 Formula 1 seat.
The intrigue, of course, sits on the other side of the Red Bull campus. RB’s future line-up isn’t locked down yet, and the broader Red Bull driver picture for 2026 remains a live topic in the paddock. Lindblad is one option among several—alongside the men already in those garages—but he’s doing the one thing that truly moves needles in this business: executing when the stopwatch is running.
FP1s are nothing like private tests. You get one hour, a handful of tyres, and a narrow window to show you can handle the pace without burning through the programme or a set of brakes. Teams want clean reads and clean cars. Lindblad delivered both, and got the nod for more mileage before the year is out.
“We look forward to the next time in the car towards the end of the year,” Mekies added, confirming further running is on the cards.
The teenager still has two rounds to go in F2 on the F1 support bill in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, sitting seventh in an ultra-tight championship. But the calendar says silly season is now, and the junior-versus-incumbent calculus never stops. Mekies knows it, and he isn’t rushing a call.
“As we’ve said, we’ll take all the time we need,” he said. “Give these guys as many chances as possible to show it on track—and then decide.”
Translation: keep performing and don’t crash the car.
For Lindblad, the Mexico run was less about fireworks and more about trust. Red Bull doesn’t hand Verstappen’s cockpit to anyone it isn’t curious about. The fact they did, and walked away with a clean report card, puts another tick in the right column.
There’s a longer game here too. With the 2025 Formula One World Championship already a furnace and 2026 regulations looming over every decision, teams are threading needles—balancing continuity, potential, and the ability to adapt. Lindblad’s case is simple: he’s quick, composed, and learning fast. That tends to travel well year-to-year.
We’ve seen Red Bull move decisively on young talent before. We’ve also seen them wait. Lindblad can’t control the timeline, but he can keep stacking days like Mexico. In a sport where first impressions linger and second chances are expensive, that’s more than half the battle.
