Arvid Lindblad: the “new champion” of Red Bull according to Helmut Marko. Helmut Marko has been particularly impressed by Arvid Lindblad, who will debut next year in F2.

The new talents of the Red Bull Junior Team
Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar: two Red Bull-trained drivers who will make their full-time Formula 1 debut next year with Red Bull and Racing Bulls, respectively. The Milton Keynes Junior Team once again proves to be a powerhouse of young talent ready to make the leap to the top. These are the major developments from the Anglo-Austrian team’s academy for 2025, which will continue to train other potential champions across various categories. One of these is particularly under the spotlight of Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.

As a guest on the *Inside Line F1* podcast, the Austrian manager expressed his admiration for Swedish driver Arvid Lindblad, who will debut in Formula 2 next season with Campos, the same team with which Hadjar finished as vice-champion this year. Third in the Italian F4 Championship last year and, most notably, winner of the historic Macau Grand Prix, the 17-year-old with Indian roots achieved four rookie wins in the latest Formula 3 championship, which were key in securing a contract with the Spanish team.

The new champion
Speaking about contracts, Marko is aware that the partnership between Max Verstappen and Red Bull cannot last forever, despite the agreement valid until 2028. In his opinion, the next potential future champion for the Milton Keynes team might just be Lindblad: “It’s a great pleasure and joy to work with Max, but he won’t drive forever,” he admitted. “Certainly not for as long as Alonso or Hamilton. The goal of the Junior Team is to find new talents, but we’re not looking for another Max. We’re looking for a new champion. I think the next one who seems truly promising is Arvid Lindblad. What makes him exceptional is his pure speed,” he recalled. “In one of the F3 races, he overtook, I don’t know, 10 or 14 drivers in a single lap. He won the race starting last in challenging wet-to-dry conditions. Looking back, I first met him in Portimao. He was there with his father, and it was Arvid who led the conversation at just 12 years old. That was unusual, but he had a clear vision and a clear plan to achieve it, and since then, he has progressed steadily.”

The qualities to approach F1
What characteristics particularly impressed the creator of the Red Bull Junior Team? “First of all, his pure speed,” he replied. “He has demonstrated it in go-karts and all junior categories. He is very intelligent and honest with himself. When he makes a mistake, he doesn’t make excuses and looks forward. He’s always a step ahead, even physically. In terms of mental preparation, when he tackles a new formula, he’s one of the few who went directly from F4 to F3. He has his own opinion, knows how to prepare, and approaches things step by step. I’d say he’s an excellent combination of mental and driving skills.”

Marko also didn’t rule out the possibility of arranging tests for the young Swede in an older F1 car: “It’s a plan. The exact number hasn’t been decided yet, but there will be several tests. Lawson and Hadjar didn’t have this opportunity to the same extent, but we’ll change that for Arvid. If he has a very good season in Formula 2, he could enter Formula 1 with solid experience in 2026, perhaps.”