Red Bull impressed by Lindblad’s speed and technical feedback in Mexico
Helmut Marko has expressed Red Bull’s satisfaction with the performance of young driver Arvid Lindblad during Free Practice 1 at the Mexican Grand Prix. The team was impressed not only by his raw speed but also by the quality of his technical feedback during the debrief sessions.
Red Bull Racing continues to keep the 2026 driver market open, as the team has yet to decide who will partner the unmovable Max Verstappen. This uncertainty is also affecting the Racing Bulls lineup, with Isack Hadjar, Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and Arvid Lindblad all waiting for direction from the Red Bull management.
Team principal Laurent Mekies, together with advisor Helmut Marko, revealed that the final decision on Verstappen’s future teammate has been postponed. As a result, the choice of the two Racing Bulls drivers has also been delayed, giving both Lawson and Tsunoda more races to prove their value under proper evaluation conditions.
During Free Practice 1 at the Mexican Grand Prix, Arvid Lindblad took over Max Verstappen’s RB21, driving the reigning world champion’s car. It was a challenging opportunity for the young British driver, who was asked to demonstrate his talent while avoiding any major risks that could compromise Verstappen’s weekend.
At the end of the session, Arvid Lindblad recorded the sixth-fastest time, just 0.617 seconds off the benchmark lap set by Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. A direct comparison with Yuki Tsunoda was not meaningful, as the Japanese driver was completing a different program during the same session.
Helmut Marko later reviewed Lindblad’s performance at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, offering words of praise and explaining what aspects had particularly impressed Red Bull’s technical staff.
“For Arvid, it was a very difficult situation,” said Helmut Marko. “He was told not to make any mistakes and not to crash, yet he still managed to achieve a great result and was the fastest rookie on track. I must say that his technical feedback was impressive, and we’re really happy with him.”
Marko also commented on Red Bull’s ongoing driver selection process: “We are in the process of making our decisions. Some have already been made, but I can’t tell you yet what our line-ups will be for next season. We’ll wait a little longer and then decide.”
He concluded by praising Lindblad’s effort: “Arvid’s performance was very strong. He wasn’t far from the best times, and it was his first attempt at a proper qualifying simulation. I think we are on the right path.”
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