Arvid Lindblad set for first F1 practice debut in British GP
The promising teen will drive in an F1 race weekend for the first time in front of his home crowd.
Arvid Lindblad is poised to take part in the opening practice session for Formula 1’s British Grand Prix next month, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed.
Lindblad will make his F1 weekend debut just weeks after securing a super license from the FIA, with the governing body having accepted Red Bull’s request to grant him an exception from the minimum age requirement.
To prepare for the FP1 appearance, the 17-year-old drove Racing Bull’s AT04 at a TPC (testing of previous cars) session in Imola, where he shared the running with Red Bull reserve Ayumu Iwasa.
This was the first full-fledged test for the Briton, who is of Indian and Swedish descent, having completed a limited 300km run at the same track earlier this year.
“He spent half a day in the car on Monday in Italy to prepare,” Marko told Kleine Zeitung. “And he'll also be in the car for Friday's practice at Silverstone.
“He stands out for his mental strength and self-confidence; his Swedish-Indian mix is clearly very good for motorsport.”
Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen runs the risk of a race ban after accumulating 11 penalty points on his super licence following his collision with Mercedes rival George Russell in the Spanish GP.
Verstappen must get through this weekend’s Austrian GP without any further infraction, with the first of his penalty points set to be dropped on 30 June. Even then, he would remain on nine points—just three short of the 12-point threshold for an automatic race ban.
Should Red Bull need someone to substitute Verstappen or any other driver from its two teams in the coming races, its options are limited, with Iwasa focusing on his primary commitments in Super Formula in Japan.
Hence, Lindblad’s Silverstone FP1 outing is an important step in bolstering the team's contingency plans.
“We're preparing in case something really happens to Max Verstappen regarding his penalty points,” Marko explained.
“We currently have two reserve drivers: Lindblad and Ayumu Iwasa, whose Formula 1 schedules clash with his appearances in Japan.
“We even had a deal with another team for some races; at one point, a reserve driver was even scheduled for three teams. It's not that easy to find someone who's in top shape and that's why Lindblad is in the car now.”
