Red Bull grants Arvid Lindblad a special driving opportunity

Arvid Lindblad has been given a unique on-track opportunity by Red Bull as he prepares for his first Formula 1 campaign in 2026.

The British youngster is set to be the grid’s sole rookie next season, following Red Bull’s confirmation of its 2026 driver line-up after months of internal discussion.

As part of those changes, Isack Hadjar will step into a race seat alongside Max Verstappen, replacing Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda, meanwhile, will remain with the team in a test and reserve role.

As a result, Liam Lawson will remain at sister team Racing Bulls and F2 star Lindblad will be given the golden ticket to F1 as his team-mate.

Ahead of his debut race in Melbourne, Lindblad will drive a Red Bull F1 car around the streets of Delhi, India for the Red Bull Moto Jam 2026, a showrun event that also features stunt biking, freestyle motocross and drifting.

Lindblad on his 2026 showrun

Speaking about the event to Autocar India, Lindblad said: "Yeah, obviously very excited.

"Even more special, it's going to be my first showrun as a Formula 1 driver and doing that here in India with my heritage and background is obviously something I'm very excited about.

"I think it's going to be an amazing event. It's going to be just before the F1 season starts. So really looking forward to coming back to India and having some fun."

Lindblad was born in Surrey, England with his father Stefan of Swedish descent and his mother Anita, of Indian heritage.

"I come from a multicultural background. I've lived in the UK my whole life, but I've spent a lot of time in Sweden. I'm now spending more time here in India. From the beginning, I've been surrounded by Indian culture," Lindblad continued.

"My grandparents are both Punjabis, so they're very traditional. They've carried their way of life to the UK. So it's been interesting for me coming to India and seeing how similar it is to what I'm used to."

"So, it's something I'm very proud of. And for sure I'll be continuing to represent that on my helmet next year."

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