Red Bull plans beyond Verstappen as Helmut Marko hails Arvid Lindblad, a rising talent poised to become their next champion.
Helmut Marko has revealed that Red Bull is already planning for life after Max Verstappen. The team knows it must identify other highly talented drivers for the day the Dutchman decides to retire. The Austrian believes young Arvid Lindblad is the next potential champion emerging from the academy.
“It’s a great pleasure to work with Max, but Max won’t race forever,” Marko stated on the Inside Line F1 podcast. “Certainly not as long as Alonso or Hamilton. The junior team’s focus is to discover new talent.”
“And we’re not looking for another Max. We’re looking for a new champion. I think the next one who looks truly promising is Arvid Lindblad.”
“In his first year, still in Formula 4, even though he didn’t win the championship, and the same applies to F3, he could have won the championship, but circumstances and so on. What sets him apart is his pure speed.”
“In one of the Formula 3 races [at Silverstone], he overtook, in one lap, I don’t know, 10 or 14 other drivers. He won the race from last place, in tricky conditions, both wet and dry.”
“Looking back, I first met him in Portimão. The Portimão karting circuit is very impressive, and we had a Formula 1 race there, during which I met him and his father.”
“And it was Arvid leading the conversation, at just 12 years old. That’s not something you see every day! But he had a clear vision and a clear way to achieve it. Since then, he has only continued to progress.”
Formula 2, however, will not be Lindblad’s sole focus for 2025. To secure the FIA Super Licence required to compete in F1, the British driver is heading to New Zealand with the mission of winning the title.
While waiting for the young driver to turn 18, Red Bull has designed an intensive development program: “He’ll be in Formula 2 next year. He’s undergoing excellent preparation. The test went well.”
“We’ve created a special program for him, sending him to New Zealand to compete in the FRECA championship, with the goal of winning it to earn the necessary points for a Super Licence. But he won’t turn 18 until August.”
Asked to list Lindblad’s qualities, Marko praised his speed and adaptability: “First of all, there’s his pure pace. He’s demonstrated it in karting and every junior category.”
“He’s very intelligent and honest with himself. When he makes a mistake, he doesn’t look for excuses but focuses on moving forward. He’s always a step ahead in his category, and the same applies physically.”
“As for his mental preparation, when he transitions between formulas, he’s one of the few who went straight from Formula 4 to Formula 3. He has his own opinions, knows how to prepare, and approaches it step by step.”
“I would say it’s an excellent combination of mental and driving skills. The first three days of Formula 2 testing in Abu Dhabi showed consistent improvement day by day.”
“At the start, he was about three-tenths behind his teammate [Pepe] Marti, who has already completed a full season. By the final day, during the qualifying run, he was ahead. This shows he observes, studies what his teammate does, and knows where to improve.”
“The first step was good, but we don’t just want him to be slightly ahead of his teammate—we want him to win or be among the best in the championship. He knows what other drivers are doing, their strengths and weaknesses, so he has a broad perspective. I think that’s the foundation for great success in the future.”
Red Bull plans to take inspiration from other programs to give Lindblad track time in older F1 cars, something not done with previous candidates: “Yes, that’s the plan. The exact number hasn’t been decided, but there will be several tests. If I compare it to the past, with [Jack] Doohan, [Oscar] Piastri, or [Oliver] Bearman, they had many tests.”
“Liam Lawson didn’t get that opportunity, and to some extent, neither did [Isack] Hadjar. That’s something we’ll change for Arvid so that, if he has a very strong season in Formula 2, he can gain valuable experience and potentially step into Formula 1 in 2026.”
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Red Bull Eyes Successor: Lindblad Tipped as Future Star Red Bull Eyes Successor: Lindblad Tipped as Future Star Red Bull Eyes Successor: Lindblad Tipped as Future Star
