Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad will take a major career step this weekend as he replaces Yuki Tsunoda in Free Practice 1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, completing Red Bull’s mandatory rookie-session allocation for the 2025 season. The team has confirmed that Lindblad will take over Tsunoda’s car in FP1 before returning for Tuesday’s post-season test.

But who is the young driver stepping into one of the most sought-after F1 seats on the grid?

A rising star of the Red Bull Junior Team

Arvid Lindblad is one of the most highly rated talents in Red Bull’s driver academy. The British-Indonesian racer has climbed quickly through the ranks and currently competes in Formula 2, where his performances in 2025 have positioned him as one of the standout rookies on the grid.

Lindblad has already completed two FP1 outings this season — one during the British Grand Prix weekend and another in Mexico — fulfilling part of Red Bull’s rookie driver requirement. His pace, consistency and adaptability have made him a serious long-term candidate for a full-time F1 seat.

Why Red Bull picked Lindblad for Abu Dhabi

Under F1 regulations, every team must allocate two FP1 sessions per car to rookie drivers each season.

  • Max Verstappen has already stepped aside twice (Bahrain and Mexico).

  • Yuki Tsunoda had one rookie session earlier in the year, meaning Red Bull needed to complete the final requirement — and Lindblad has been chosen again.

The selection is particularly interesting given Lindblad is widely viewed as the leading contender for a 2026 Racing Bulls seat, alongside or replacing Liam Lawson. His appearance in the senior Red Bull car rather than the sister team adds intrigue to the ongoing driver-market discussions.

Part of Red Bull’s long-term plan

Red Bull junior drivers Ayumu Iwasa and Lindblad will be in action again during Tuesday’s post-season test, where the two are expected to swap cars:

  • Iwasa → Racing Bulls (FP1 & test)

  • Lindblad → Red Bull (FP1), Racing Bulls (test)

This rotation fits Red Bull’s strategy of preparing both drivers for senior responsibilities while evaluating them closely for 2026.

Why Lindblad’s FP1 outing matters

With sweeping new F1 regulations arriving in 2026, race engineers and insiders agree that driving the 2025 car carries limited technical value for future setups. However, the seat time offers Lindblad:

  • Crucial F1 mileage and procedural experience

  • Adaptation to high-pressure F1 environments

  • Direct comparison data alongside Max Verstappen

  • A chance to showcase maturity and race-weekend understanding

The Red Bull garage will be watching closely — especially with Tsunoda’s 2026 future uncertain and the driver market preparing for another shake-up.

Set for a major step up

If reports from Erik van Haren and other F1 insiders are accurate, Lindblad is poised to become one of the youngest Formula 1 rookies of the modern era, potentially securing a full-time Racing Bulls seat for 2026. His Abu Dhabi FP1 appearance marks the latest confirmation of Red Bull’s fast-track plan for the teenager.