Formula 2 driver and Red Bull talent, Arvid Lindblad, was granted a super license ahead of schedule in early June. The British driver had, on paper, enough points to qualify for a Formula 1 license, but at 17 years old, he is officially too young. Red Bull requested the FIA to make an exception, as the young driver demonstrated ‘excellent skills’. During the race weekend in Canada, an enthusiastic Lindblad revealed that the application had been submitted as early as February.
Following in the footsteps of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who also received a super license from the FIA ahead of schedule last year, Lindblad was ‘fast-tracked’. “We can conclude that the driver has recently and consistently demonstrated excellent skills and maturity,” the organization wrote. Lindblad was asked about his new super license during the Canadian Grand Prix. “I am very grateful and proud to have the opportunity to participate in Formula 1 sessions,” he responded to the media in Montreal. “Whether that will actually happen, I don’t know yet.”
Was the Timing Purely Coincidental?
“I still need to discuss this with Red Bull,” he continued. “For now, I’m mainly excited that I have this opportunity at all. Red Bull probably knows more than I do – I was never involved in all those discussions.” Lindblad further revealed that the exemption had been applied for months ago. “The super license was applied for in February,” he explained. “So I think the timing was purely coincidental – it coincided roughly with the discussion about Max Verstappen‘s penalty points. I also don’t know what the plan would have been if something had happened.”
Helmut Marko was also asked about Lindblad’s super license. The senior advisor called it a ‘good sign’ for the Red Bull training program in an interview with Krone Zeitung. “Isack Hadjar is proof that our training program works,” said the Austrian. “With Lindblad, we have another person in-house who is mentally very strong. In addition, we now have two reserve drivers again – so far we only had Ayumu Iwasa, but he also has races in Japan that overlap with the Formula 1 schedule.”
