In 2021, a confident 14-year-old karting talent named Arvid Lindblad approached Lando Norris at the Adria Karting Raceway in Italy with a bold statement: “Lando, remember me. I will see you in Formula 1 in five years.”
Norris was at the track to launch his karting team, and Lindblad, now competing in Formula 2, seized the moment to make his mark.
“It was spontaneous,” Lindblad explained to Sky Sports. “I was chatting with a friend when we saw Lando. I said I`d be racing him in F1 soon, and my friend dared me to tell him. I wanted to prove him wrong!”
Lindblad approached Norris, who was receptive to the young driver`s ambition. “I went up to Lando, and he was very kind. I said, `It was nice to meet you, see you in five years.` I was inspired by Lewis Hamilton telling Ron Dennis he would join McLaren. It was a similar vibe, and my friend encouraged me!”
“That was at the end of 2021. I hope to have a strong year in F2 and make it to F1 to keep my word!”
Inspired by Hamilton
Lindblad`s reference to Hamilton echoes a moment in 1995 when a 10-year-old Hamilton told McLaren`s Ron Dennis at the Autosport Awards of his F1 aspirations.
Growing up watching Hamilton`s dominance with Mercedes, Lindblad`s passion for F1 ignited. “I remember bits when I was very young, when Vettel was winning, but not much,” he recalled.
“When Lewis started winning, around seven or eight, I began understanding the sport better. It was when he was successful, he was British, and he was a person of color. There was a cool connection because his F1 debut was in 2007, the year I was born. I always felt an affinity to him.”
Born in Surrey, Lindblad, with a Swedish father and Indian mother, has always competed under the British flag, showcasing early racing talent.
Oliver Rowland, a Formula E leader, recognized Lindblad`s potential early on, describing him as `special`.
“I met Arvid in 2016 through my old karting team, Zip Kart,” Rowland recounted. “They called me about a promising young kid. He was seven. They asked if I`d coach him. I went to Whilton Mill and saw him on his first day. He was impressive for a seven-year-old.”
“His maturity stood out. He was inquisitive about racing, eager to learn how to be faster. He was completely focused on becoming a racing driver, which was unusual at that age.”
Karting Success
Rowland established Oliver Rowland Motorsport specifically for Lindblad, improving on his previous karting setup.
Lindblad secured the British Championship and progressed to international karting, competing for titles against older rivals.
“From the start, F1 and becoming world champion were my goals,” he stated.
“At seven or eight, I was always the youngest, racing in the 8-13 category. I was often as fast as the top drivers, which boosted my confidence.”
“At nine or ten, I contended for and won the British Championship. Then in Europe, I performed well. There wasn’t a specific moment of realization, I just kept pushing.”
“Winning was always the aim, constantly seeking improvement. My dad emphasized development over results, providing driver coaches to help me focus on getting better. It was always about self-improvement.”
“I took it step-by-step, aiming to excel at each level.”
Joining Red Bull
As is common, successful karters transition to Formula 4 at 15, the minimum age for those cars.
Lindblad followed this path, already supported by Red Bull, joining their junior program at 13 in late 2020.
“Being 13 then, I wasn`t involved in the details. I focused on results, the most important thing in sports,” he said.
“I recall communication between my dad and team members linked to Red Bull, but not specifics.”
“In Portimao for a karting World Championship test, my dad received a call from `Graz, Austria` during breakfast. I didn’t think much of it initially.”
“Something was up when he took the call and returned with a spring in his step.”
“He told me Dr. Marko wanted to meet to discuss joining the Red Bull program. I was thrilled.”
“We met him on Sunday of the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, where he invited me to join. That`s how it began.”
Rising Through the Ranks
Lindblad finished third in his first full Italian F4 season in 2023, exceeding expectations.
He won the Macau F4 World Cup that year and advanced to F3 in 2024. Despite not winning the championship, his speed and adaptability were evident.
At Silverstone, he won both races, including a remarkable wet race comeback.
His championship challenge faded in the final six races, partly due to bad luck.
Despite this, Lindblad impressed and was promoted to F2 with Campos this season. In his debut in Australia, he qualified 14th and finished 10th in the only race after the feature race was cancelled due to rain.
“I`m happy with my progress. This year is a big challenge, a significant step from F3. I need to maximize every opportunity to learn and improve,” he said.
“I`ll focus on learning in the initial rounds, developing as I did in testing. My goal is to contend for wins, podiums, and poles as soon as possible.”
F1 Future?
Lindblad already holds a Super Licence, qualifying him for F1, after winning the Formula Regional Oceania Championship earlier in the year.
Red Bull sees Lindblad as a potential future star, known for quickly advancing drivers to F1.
With recent driver changes at Red Bull and uncertainty about Verstappen`s teammate in 2026, opportunities may arise if Lindblad performs well in F2.
“Verstappen has hinted at not driving for too long, and he`s at a level where he`ll decide when to stop,” Lindblad commented on potentially racing with Verstappen.
“I`m concentrating on my journey and aiming for a strong F2 season. Hopefully, I`ll be in F1 by 2026, and we`ll see what happens.”
“It`s a unique situation. Getting to F1 takes immense effort, and being there is different. I`m not focused on that yet.”
“I`m still far from F1. I have much to prove and improve. We`ll see. Teaming up with Verstappen would be amazing, but if not, it`s okay. My aim is to be a Formula 1 world champion.”
New 2025 regulations mandate young drivers in first practice sessions, offering potential F1 experience for Lindblad, though he must turn 18 in August to fully participate due to Super Licence age restrictions.
Future Champion?
While early, Lindblad`s mentor, Rowland, is optimistic about Britain`s rising motorsport star.
“I rate Arvid extremely highly. Among the F1 rookies this year, only a couple might be immediately competitive. I expect the same from Arvid if he gets the chance,” Rowland stated.
“He possesses everything needed at 17 to potentially become an F1 world champion.”
“It`s a long path, with much to learn and develop. F1 isn`t solely about the driver, but I firmly believe he has the potential to be a future world champion.”
Wesley Dunham 
Gilbert Pendleton