Red Bull's 'next Max Verstappen' getting the Kimi Antonelli treatment as the driver prepares for F1

Red Bull junior driver Arvid Lindblad, who is touted to be the "next Max Verstappen', has competed his first day in the TPC at Imola. The young British driver has caught the attention of everyone in the motorsport world with his growth and eye-catching talent in the junior categories.

Lindblad, who is of Swedish and Indian heritage through his parents, recently won the Formula Oceania Championship in New Zealand to get enough points for his super license. In the upcoming 2025 season, he will compete in the F2 series with Campos Racing and potentially make his way to the pinnacle of motorsport soon.

As reported by Autosport, the Red Bull junior drove the AT04, which was the 2023 challenger of AlphaTauri now Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 team in the TPC. He had previously driven the RB8 in a part of a showdown in Houston, Texas last year in September ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin.

Arvid Lindblad, who has been the next big talent in Red Bull after Max Verstappen, is following the route of another young driver Kimi Antonelli, who too had a similar TPC with Mercedes in his preparation for eventually getting a full-time race seat in the 2025 season.

Whilst appearing on the Inside Line F1 podcast, Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko spoke about the TPC for Lindblad and said (via PlanetF1):

“I think in the past, if I compare with [Jack] Doohan, or with [Oscar] Piastri, or also with [Oliver] Bearman, they had a lot of tests in the two-year-old version Formula 1 car. And we want… For example, Liam Lawson didn’t have this opportunity, and also, [Isack] Hadjar, to a certain amount, didn’t have this opportunity."

“And this we will change for Arvid that he, if he makes a very good season in Formula 2, that he can go with good experience into Formula 1 in 2026, maybe. It’s a great pleasure and enjoyment to work with Max, but Max won’t drive forever," he added.

The 17-year-old will get a shot at driving the 2025 cars with VCARB or Red Bull if he gets a couple of Free Practice sessions in the season.

Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad chimes in on looking up to Max Verstappen

Red Bull junior driver Arvid Lindblad stated that he found Max Verstappen to be a "really great guy" in his interaction with the reigning four-time F1 world champion.

He told the Inside Line F1 podcast about Max Verstappen and said:

“I think Max is a really great guy. I think he’s really impressive because when I sort of first started to get to know him and talk to him, he really is just like a normal guy. He doesn’t let any of the fame or the noise go to his head and he’s really down to earth."

There is a possibility that the young British driver might be racing alongside Max Verstappen in the coming years if he impresses in F2. The 27-year-old has a contract with the Austrian team until the end of the 2028 season.