Arvid Lindblad opens up on F1 rumours as British teen steps up bid for Red Bull 2026 seat

Arvid Lindblad confessed that it is 'quite cool' to see his name linked with a Formula One seat in 2026. The British teenager is reportedly in line for a promotion to the Racing Bulls squad next year after convincing Red Bull bosses of his potential. Lindblad burst onto the scene at Silverstone last season when he swept the Formula Three weekend in treacherous conditions, and he has developed well in his rookie Formula Two campaign in 2025.

The 18-year-old has already secured a super license on a special exemption, and sits seventh in the standings heading into Sunday's feature race. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the Surrey-born starlet is now almost certain to move into F1 next year with Racing Bulls, while Isack Hadjar is in line to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull. This means that Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson are now fighting to remain on the grid as Lindblad's team-mate.

Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lindblad was asked about the rumours, in the context of an interaction with Lando Norris from earlier in his junior career. The teenager had told the McLaren racer that he would see him on the F1 grid in the future.

"It's a funny story," he told GPblog. "When I was five, when I started this journey, I had the dream of becoming Formula One World Champion. I had that same sort of determination and drive. What was it... It was four years ago when I said that to Lando, and I had the same today.

"We'll see what happens. Obviously, it's quite cool that there are rumours being attached to me for next year in F1. But I still don't know about my future. I'm still very focused on F2. So yeah, we'll see what happens."

For the latest breaking stories and headlines, sign up to our Daily Express F1 newsletter, or join our WhatsApp community here.

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies was asked about the reports linking Lindblad with a promotion in Baku, but deflected the question. "I don't think it's for Red Bull Racing," he replied. "So no, it's a question for Helmut [Marko]."

Marko is facing an awkward decision over Lindblad's team-mate in 2026. Late last year, Tsunoda and Lawson were fighting for the honour of being Verstappen's partner in the Red Bull squad, but now, less than 12 months later, the duo are fighting to secure their long-term F1 futures.

Lawson didn't hurt his chances in Azerbaijan on Saturday. The New Zealander capitalised on chaotic circumstances to put his Racing Bulls machine on the second row of the grid, behind only pole-sitter Verstappen and Williams' Carlos Sainz. Tsunoda, meanwhile, qualified sixth, marking an improvement on his recent form.