Red Bull keeps all options open: Super license applied for Arvid Lindblad

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Red Bull has applied to the FIA ​​for an exemption from the Super Licence rules for Arvid Lindblad. The team hopes to receive the green light so that Lindblad can participate in official Formula 1 sessions on race weekends before his 18th birthday.

While Red Bull's reserve drivers and young talents are currently in the spotlight, partly because of Max Verstappen's eleven penalty points , which could theoretically lead to a race ban if he were to commit another offense at the Grands Prix in Canada and Austria, it has now been announced that Red Bull has made a corresponding request for Lindblad.

Importantly, according to Helmut Marko, this request is not directly related to Verstappen's penalty points and was submitted much earlier. Red Bull's request is scheduled to be discussed next week at the FIA ​​World Motor Sport Council meeting in Macau.

Lindblad currently competes in Formula 2 and meets all the other requirements for a super license, the document that entitles him to participate in official Formula 1 sessions. He has earned sufficient super license points in junior series, but the license can only be issued upon his 18th birthday.

This age rule was introduced after Max Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut at the age of 17—at the time without a valid driver's license. To prevent similar cases, the FIA ​​set a minimum age requirement for the super license.

In Antonelli's footsteps?

Last year, however, this door was reopened somewhat when Mercedes applied for an exemption for Andrea Kimi Antonelli , similar to what Red Bull is doing now. As a result, the FIA's International Sporting Code was revised, specifically Article 13.1.2.

Appendix L now reads: "At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver who has recently and continuously demonstrated exceptional skill and maturity in single-seater racing may be granted a Super Licence as early as 17 years of age."

Since Lindblad has already collected enough points before his 18th birthday and is currently third in the Formula 2 standings as a rookie (with two wins, including the main race in Barcelona), he apparently meets the criteria for this exemption clause.

The FIA ​​will put the Red Bull request on the agenda next week when it meets in Macau. If the exemption is approved, Lindblad would be allowed to participate in Formula 1 practice sessions and could even step in as a reserve driver.

This would be an additional option for Red Bull given the current situation . Should Verstappen be suspended and Red Bull bring one of the Racing Bulls drivers into the A team, Lindblad could theoretically replace either Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson at the sister team. In addition to Lindblad (assuming the exemption is granted), Red Bull still has Ayumu Iwasa available as a reserve driver.

Lindblad turns 18 on August 8th – just days after the Hungarian Grand Prix. This means the British-Swedish junior driver would be eligible for the Super Licence starting after the Formula 1 summer break.

Lindblad directly instead of Tsunoda? Unlikely...

However, it is considered unlikely that Lindblad, as some have speculated, could join Red Bull Racing directly to replace Yuki Tsunoda , who has only scored seven World Championship points since moving from Racing Bulls to the A-Team. After all, Helmut Marko had already announced in March in an interview on the Formel1.de YouTube channel : "Yuki Tsunoda will finish the season. We expect him to manage."

And even though Tsunoda's performance alongside Verstappen has so far fallen short of expectations, the situation with the Japanese is "better" than it was previously with Liam Lawson, as he is "sometimes only a tenth away" "as long as there are free practice sessions," says Marko in an interview with ServusTV , recorded on Monday after the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

But: "When qualifying comes around, where Max is still improving, he can't keep up. And in trying to compensate, he makes mistakes." Furthermore, Verstappen is adapting to the sometimes extensive setup changes from Friday to Saturday faster than Tsunoda: "Max adapts immediately. Yuki would need a few laps, which you don't have in qualifying."

"We hope he continues to improve slowly," says Marko, and in Tsunoda's defense, mentions: "In Barcelona, ​​he didn't have the same specifications as Max because of his crash in Imola. A floor like that takes three weeks to finish. And that just wasn't possible in terms of time." Verstappen's RB21 was therefore "two or three tenths" faster than Tsunoda's.

However, Marko is clear that the second cockpit at Red Bull Racing remains an issue and that the Lawson-Tsunoda switch has not solved all of the problems: "We need a mentally stable man who goes his own way and doesn't try to beat Max. That's where they all fail when they try to keep up."