Formula E star and former Red Bull junior driver Antonio Felix da Costa has backed Arvid Lindblad for a successful Formula 1 career, describing him as “the real deal”.
The 18-year-old will make his full F1 debut for Racing Bulls this year, having been promoted from the Milton Keynes-based squad‘s junior ranks.
Having taken wins in Formula 2 last year, Lindblad was afforded an FIA super licence earlier than usually allowed, and partook in two FP1 sessions, the second in Max Verstappen’s RB21 at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The British-Swede impressed enough to be handed the second seat alongside Liam Lawson at the Faenza-based satellite team, amid Isack Hadjar’s promotion to Red Bull alongside Verstappen.
Da Costa knows the Red Bull setup well, having graduated through its ranks himself, and his FE rival and the all-electric championship’s reigning World Champion Oliver Rowland is Lindblad’s lead mentor.
And the Portuguese, speaking exclusively to Motorsport Week ahead of the Daytona 24 Hours, in which he finished second in the LMP2 class, believes Rowland’s influence will enable Lindblad to reach his potential, and revealed some off-season racing with the teenage sensation.
“I think having Oli behind him is a very very good thing, we’ve seen Arvid say that out loud himself,” da Costa said. “Oliver’s been through the grassroots himself, and he got very close to F1 like I did, and he knows how this world works, and he’s very honest, he’s known Arvid for many many years, so I’m sure he’s the right guy for Arvid.
“Arvid actually lives a kilometre away from my house, so we’ve been spending a little bit of time together, we’ve been go-karting together a little bit, and he’s the real deal, how young he is and how good technically he is, it really surprised me.
“He’s kicked my ass a little bit when we went go-karting, so I’m sure he’ll be alright!”
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