Lawson set to be dropped as Lindblad given the green light – It was some nine years ago when the FIA closed the door to any driver competing in F1 under the age of 18. It was in part a reaction to Red Bull having introduced Max Verstappen to the sport the previous season, when at 17 years and 166 days he became the youngest driver by more than two years to race in Formula One.
Last season the FIA were petitioned to reconsider this ruling whereby the requirement for a valid road driving license was removed. The updated rules stated F1’s governing body would allow a 17 year old to race should they have “recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition.”
The determination as to whether a driver meets this standard will be “at the sole discretion of the FIA”, the updated rules specified. The announcement was made following a request to the FIA to change its rules in order to allow Mercedes’ junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli to race in the series before he turned 18 in August.
Mercedes gets age exemption from FIA
There appeared no particular reason for Mercedes to apply for this particular exemption, given Antonelli was never apparently in the running to replace either of the team’s full time drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Yet he would have been available had either of the drivers been unable to compete on any given weekend.
This year the FIA has been asked to consider the merits of Red Bull junior driver Arvid Lindblad and this week confirmed: “The FIA has received a request to grant a Super Licence to Arvid Lindblad prior to his 18th birthday,” the FIA World Motor Sport Council confirmed in a statement. “After considering the information presented in support of this request, the Council found that the driver has recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition and therefore approved the request.”
Now the British-Swedish racing sensation is available for selection by either the Racing Bulls or the Red Bull Racing team to compete in F1 before 8th August this year when he turns 18 years of age. Lindblad’s epic rise to the top of his profession began in karting and his unique talent was spotted by Red Bull who recruited him to their junior driver programme in 2021.
A victory in the iconic Macou Grand Prix saw Red Bull promote him to International F3 and after just one season he was dropped in at the deep end this year by his promotion to F2. A win in this season’s Saudi Sprint was followed up immediately by a P2 in the Imola race on Saturday and last time out in Spain, the Red Bull driver went one step further claiming victory in the feature race on Sunday, just before the Grand Prix.
Red Bull junior now granted F1 license early
Now armed with his F1 super license, Arvid Lindblad could debut in any of the upcoming five Grand Prix before the annual summer break which begins on August 4th. Of course as was the case with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, the Red Bull superstar may not step into F1 before he turns 18 regardless of the recent announcement of his F1 super license, yet the question is why did Red Bull go to the effort and expense of getting Lindblad approved just two months before he is eligible regardless?
The Red Bull junior driver programme once hailed as the gold standard in Formula One has in recent years fallen into disrepute. With none of its drivers capable of holding a candle to Max Verstappen, the team decided for. 2021 to bring in an experienced hand in the form of Sergio Perez. Despite his troubles last season, Perez did the best job of partnering Max Verstappen since Daniel Ricciardo left for Renault at the end of 2018.
Both Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon were given the opportunity at Red Bull, and whilst Gasly lasted just a handful of races in 2019, Albon completed that year alongside Verstappen and also the next before being dropped in favour of the Mexican driver.
With the departure of Daniel Ricciardo last year, the Red Bull junior programme was reinvigorated, as up stepped Liam Lawson to fill the Aussies role at the Racing Bull’s team. Isack Hadjar, who finished a close second in the 2024 F2 campaign was promoted this season alongside Yuki Tsunoda now in his fifth year for the Red Bull junior team.
Lawson set to be dropped after paltry points haul
Yet after just two race weekends, Hadjar found himself with a new team mate as Lawson was dropped back to the Racing Bull’s whilst Tsunoda was given his turn alongside Verstappen. Yet the capricious nature of this year’s RB21 has to date foiled the Japanese driver who has just seven points to his name since receiving the promotion.
Lawson’s return to the Racing Bulls has neither been a great success as across seven race weekends he has accumulated just four points while Isack Hadjar has racked up an impressive 21. The Racing Bulls are in a tight battle with Haas F1 for sixth place in the constructors’ title race and despite having a car which looks capable of better, are now some 26 points adrift of Williams.
The two Red Bull F1 teams do not need Lindblad to act as a reserve driver, given Ayumu Iwassa who is racing in Japanese Super Formula has the accreditation required should any of the four F1 drivers be unable to compete. The real reason behind the application to the FIA for Lindblad’s F1 super license is most likely because he is being considered in the very near future as a replacement for Liam Lawson.
Had Lawson scored this year similarly to his team mate, the battle with Williams would now be very close. With almost two thirds of the season remaining, Red Bull are seriously considering their second driver switch of the year. And it will be Lawson who is forced to step aside, should the Milton Keynes based squad decide its time to blood Lindblad into Formula One.
MORE F1 NEWS – Ex-Ferrari boss says Hamilton too ‘old’
Much is being made of the ‘annus horribilis’ being experienced by Lewis Hamilton in his first season as a Ferrari driver. In Saturday qualifying he is 8-1 down to his team mate Charles Leclerc and despite a shock win in the China Sprint race, he has finished ahead of his team mate on Sunday’s just twice in nine rounds.
With each passing race weekend, Hamilton’s demeanour deteriorates and such was the low following his sixth place in the recent Spanish Grand Prix, he found it necessary to apologise to Sky presenter Rachel Brookes after giving what amounted to a monosyllabic interview.
Just the day before, Lewis had qualified in P5 for the Grand Prix and was set to start two places ahead of his team mate. The seven times world champion was buoyant in the media pen following the session, saying: “P5 in quali shows the progress we’ve made. The car felt good, so I’m going all in tomorrow, aiming for a podium finish.”….. READ MORE
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Nah, person or AI that wrote this clearly doesn’t follow F1. Lindblad got his licence due to the risk of Max getting suspended. Lawson has been steadily improving since his return to RB. There is little chance of any changes until next season with the reg change. And even then, probably not until mid-year so they can see how the drivers adapt to the changes. That way they have Lindblad waiting in the wings for when he’s actually needed.
I think both are right… they NEED Lindblad in case Max has another tantrum and gets disqualified, and they WANT Lindblad in case Liam gets even worse. (And to think that Helmut Marko was digging at the other team’s about the quality of their rookies!)