Breaking News: Arvid Lindblad Signs for VCARB
- therookiereporters
- Dec 3, 2025
- 2 min read
The 18-year-old British and Swedish Red Bull Academy driver has secured a seat in Red Bull's sister team in Formula 1 for the 2026 season.
The news comes after much speculation about who would fill the VCARB seats, with the team not having a driver locked down for the 2026 until now.
After the announcement of Isack Hadjar completing the Red Bull driver line-up, some fans were shocked that Yuki Tsunoda, who has competed with them for most of the season, was not demoted back to VCARB, losing his Formula 1 seat completely and now taking on the role of test and reserve driver for Red Bull. It was this change in drivers at Red Bull which created the opening for Lindblad to join the grid with VCARB.
He partners with Kiwi Liam Lawson, who returned to the junior team after beginning the season at Red Bull. After racing in Formula 1 for two half-seasons when he stepped in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo, Lawson signed on for the full 2025 season. Despite some poor results, Lawson has still managed to score points and remains with the team for the 2026 season as Lindblad’s first F1 teammate.
Lindblad has been on Red Bull's agenda for a while now, obtaining his super license at the age of 17, with a special exception from the FIA due to his young age. He currently drives for Campos Racing in his rookie year of Formula 2 with Red Bull sponsorship. Lindblad has shown strong pace in recent years, finishing his 2024 Formula 3 season in 4th and currently sitting 6th in the Formula 2 championship with one race to go. In 2023, his name began gaining traction after he took home a win at the special Macau Grand Prix, which he followed up by taking home the Formula Regional Oceania Championship earlier this year.
With his sixth-place standing in the Formula 2 Championship and his young age, some fans question whether he is ready to step into Formula 1 this early in his career. Often, it's the winners and runners-up of Formula 2 that are placed into Formula 1. But in recent years, drivers like Ollie Bearman and Franco Colapinto have entered F1 despite being lower in the F2 Championship.
Regarding his recent signing, Lindblad said, "I’d like to thank everyone at VCARB for the opportunity. Since I started this journey at five years old, it was always my goal to be in Formula One so it’s a proud moment to take this step. I’m extremely grateful to the Red Bull Junior Programme and my personal team for their guidance, mentorship and belief; none of this would have been possible without their support. 2026 will be a big challenge and I know there’s a lot to learn, but I’m ready to work closely with the team and rise to it. I can’t wait to get started, it’s going to be an exciting year!"
Article Written by Isa Charlton
