F1 rookie Lindblad wants to take his own path to the top

Sept 29 : Formula One's sole rookie Arvid Lindblad has set Max Verstappen as his benchmark but the 19-year-old intends to tread his own path to the top.

The Briton, in his debut season with Red Bull's sister team Racing Bulls, told Reuters at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that he hoped eventually to emulate the Dutch four-times world champion.

"In the end we all have our own paths. So, I’m not going to say that because I like Max, I want to follow exactly what he did because I want to do what’s best for myself," he said.

“I’m focused on myself, I’m learning and when I’m ready and the time comes, of course I want to step up to the top team and I want to achieve great things like he has. But I wouldn’t put a timeline on it. I’m not in a rush.”

RAPID RISE TO FORMULA ONE

Lindblad’s ascent up the motorsport ladder has still been rapid for someone who says he is not in a hurry.

Born in 2007, he started karting competitively in 2015 - the same year that Verstappen made his F1 debut aged 17 with the same Faenza-based team that was then racing as Toro Rosso.

He stepped up to single seaters in 2022, racing Formula Four cars, and progressed from F3 in 2024 to F2 in 2025 and Formula One this year.

He was granted a super-license at 17 in an exception to a rule originally introduced in response to Verstappen’s early debut.

Widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects in Red Bull’s young driver pool, he has repaid the energy drinks manufacturer’s faith in him.

There have been mistakes, most notably practice crashes at Spain’s new Madring track and the Baku city circuit on consecutive weekends and contact with teammate Liam Lawson at a safety car restart in Azerbaijan.

But Lindblad has strung together a strong season, with nine points finishes from the last 10 races.

“I’ve obviously been very lucky to have a fast car,” he said.  “But also at the same time I’m going to give myself credit, you know? “I’m a rookie. It’s been a big step up this year, very new cars, very new engines, so a lot for me to learn but I feel like I’ve been dealing with it well, learning every weekend."

Verstappen moved up to the main Red Bull team five races into his second season and won on his debut.

The possibility of a similar move for Lindblad seems closed off for the time being, with Red Bull last week announcing a contract extension for Isack Hadjar, on the podium in Baku, that will keep the Frenchman as Verstappen's teammate in 2027.

Racing Bulls have yet to confirm their line-up but are expected to retain Lindblad.

Born in the UK with a Swedish father and mother of Indian ancestry and Punjabi roots, he races under a British license but carries all three flags – the Union Jack, the Swedish flag and the Indian tricolour - on his helmet in a nod to his multicultural heritage.

He is proud of his roots and aware of the attention that brings as a role model, but the immediate focus is on development.

“There’s still so many things for me to learn, even things for me to learn about the world," he said.

“I know that as an athlete in a very global sport like F1, we have a platform and it’s very important we use that for good things and we promote good values. i want to do that when the time is right and also when I’ve got the knowledge that I can do that in a good way.”