Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane has revealed the “different things” that prompted Red Bull to hand Arvid Lindblad his Formula 1 debut in 2026.
The Faenza-based squad announced its line-up for 2026 quickly in the aftermath of the Qatar Grand Prix.
With the incumbent Isack Hadjar getting the call up to the main team alongside Max Verstappen, 18-year-old rookie Lindblad will make his debut in the sport next year.
The British-Swedish racing driver, who received a special FIA super license dispensation earlier this year, has already driven F1 machinery in anger during two competitive FP1 sessions for the Milton-Keynes-based squad at Silverstone and Mexico respectively.
Permane revealed that it was his performance at the former that especially caught the eye of Red Bull, prompting the team to sign him to its sister outfit.
“He had an exceptional outing in Mexico in the Red Bull in FP1,” he told Formula 1.
“He was very, very quick and both Red Bull and Racing Bulls were very impressed with that drive.”
Lindblad had taken over Max Verstappen’s RB21 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with him posting the sixth-fastest lap of Friday’s opening session – quickest of the FP1 rookies and almost a tenth faster than Yuki Tsunoda.
Lindblad’s ‘spare capacity’ trait earned him F1 drive
Permane insisted that there were various other factors also at play that have seen the 18-year-old rise up to the pinnacle of single-seater, open-wheel motorsport, including a favorable Helmut Marko.
“It’s lots of different things that have led to his promotion,” clarified Permane.
“[Red Bull Motorsport Advisor] Helmut believes in him – and that’s a great thing to have, to have the backing of Dr Marko, who has been following his career closely.”
In addition to Lindblad’s undeniable acumen and raw pace, the Frenchman also highlighted how he believes the 18-year-old has immense “spare capacity” and racing intelligence – traits that have been attributed to four-time F1 Champion Verstappen in the past.
“His feedback is very good. He’s intelligent – you can tell that when you talk to him,” he revealed.
“He’ll learn quickly I’m sure. If a driver has got spare capacity, it’s always good.”
READ MORE – Yuki Tsunoda claims predecessors haven’t managed what he has in Red Bull F1 seat
Discussion about this post