F1: Who is Arvid Lindblad?

Meet the Indian-origin driver to race at Formula One this season.

IMAGE: 18 year old Arvid Lindblad will be in action at the Melbourne F1 GP next week. Photograph: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters

Racing Bulls' F1 driver Arvid Lindblad is one of the youngest drivers ever to start a grand prix.

Key Points

Arvid Linblad is the 4th youngest F1 driver of all time.
He is the 3rd driver of Indian heritage to race in the Formula One.
He was in India on the weekend for the Red Bull Moto Jam.

Racing Bulls' British 18-year-old rookie Lindblad, a Briton of parental Swedish and Indian heritage becomes the youngest British F1 driver, a record taken from Oliver Bearman who was 18 when he debuted for Ferrari in 2024.

Lindblad is also the fourth youngest Formula One driver of all time after Verstappen, Lance Stroll and Kimi Antonelli..

Lindblad, whose maternal Grandparents hail from Punjab, took part in the second edition of Red Bull Moto Jam on Sunday.

Arvid, who's the third-ever F1 driver with Indian heritage, returned to India just one week before his F1 debut to perform in front of fans at the India Expo Centre, Noida, located in Delhi NCR, a region that previously hosted three Formula One Grands Prix. Arvid drove Sebastian Vettel's 2012 World Championship-winning RB8, presented in VCARB livery.

Going behind the wheel in India was special: Lindblad

IMAGE: Arvid Lindblad. Photograph: Kind courtesy Formula 1/X

This first-of-a-kind motorsports extravaganza provided an immersive experience to thrill Indian fans, allowing them to experience live spectacular exhibitions and see Arvid driving an F1 car.

The VCARB-branded RB8 was driven by Lindblad to mark the occasion of Holi, that falls on Tuesday, March 3.

In a tradition established at Red Bull Showruns in India, the car released coloured powder (gulal) into the air, reflecting the local celebration.

Lindblad said, 'It was such a unique opportunity to be part of the Red Bull Moto Jam event and be able to drive an F1 car in India. Having the chance to be behind the wheel in this country, whose culture truly shaped me during my childhood, was really special.

'From kicking off the weekend by visiting the historical India Gate in Delhi to seeing all the fans cheering for me during the exhibition, it was such a nice moment. I hope they had a great time. A huge thank you to everyone involved; there couldn't have been a better way to kick off my F1 season before going to Melbourne next week.'