Red Bull behind FIA 'Verstappen rule' tweak

Red Bull Racing is setting its sights on a new top talent, with Arvid Lindblad having all he needs to become a successful Formula 1 driver, according to the Austrian team.

As a result, they submitted a rule change request to the FIA. 

The result was that drivers no longer have to reach the age of 18 to make a debut in F1. That rule was introduced when it was announced that Max Verstappen would officially start driving in the premier class of motorsport in 2015 at the age of 17.

It was initially thought that the application to the FIA had been made by Williams. The Grove-based team has been linked with handing Kimi Antonelli a promotion to F1. 

However, it turns out that is not the case, as it was Red Bull who submitted the application. 

While it does not mean that Lindblad can count on a permanent seat in F1 anytime soon, it does appear that Red Bull is making moves to offer him a test at some point. 

RacingNews365 understands, however, that at this point there is no certainty whatsoever that Lindblad will actually make his debut in an F1 car as early as this year. 

The British talent celebrates his 17th birthday on August 8, and with the FIA's approval, under the rewritten rule, he would be allowed to make his F1 debut. 

For now, however, Lindblad is concentrating on the Formula 3 championship, and with success. In Barcelona, he managed to win his second race of the season and moved up to fourth place in the championship.

Lindblad has been part of the Red Bull junior program since 2021, and with a possible debut in F1, the team would once again succeed in bringing a talent to the grid.