Formula E world champion Oliver Rowland has heaped praise on his longtime protégé Arvid Lindblad, describing the 17-year-old as a future Formula 1 star and revealing that Red Bull is executing a “broader programme” to groom the young Brit for a likely promotion to motorsport’s highest level.
Rowland, a former Renault and Williams development driver in F1, has mentored Lindblad since he was a precocious seven-year-old karter, and watched with pride as the young gun made his official F1 debut in FP1 at Silverstone earlier this month.
Lindblad stepped into the cockpit of a Red Bull machine alongside reigning world champion Max Verstappen, the Campos racing F2 charger finishing the session P14, just half a second behind the Dutchman.
With Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko rating him highly, whispers are growing that Lindblad could be in line for a Racing Bulls seat as early as next year.
A Proud Mentor
“Yeah, it was a proud moment for me,” Rowland told Dutch website RacingNews365.
“Especially getting to see someone who I've known since he was a seven-year-old kid, drive out alongside Max in a Red Bull car, it was an extremely proud moment.”
Formula E world champion and Arvid Lindblad's mentor, Oliver Rowland.
Rowland admitted the significance of the event hit him before the weekend but once the session began, both mentor and mentee were all business.
“I actually thought I was going to be a bit more emotional, even thinking about it, I was emotional before the weekend,” he explained.
“But when we were in the garage, it was like business as usual, and we had a job to do. So he did a great job. I think they were reasonably happy with the job that he did. And he gave everything that he needed.”
F1 Future Already in Motion
Lindblad, who is competing in his rookie Formula 2 season, has already claimed two race wins in the feeder series, with his assessment for F1 running parallel to his main racing programme;
The young Brit has been actively involved in Red Bull’s TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme and is likely to appear in more FP1 sessions this season.
Rowland believes Lindblad has everything it takes to make the step up – and that Red Bull’s long-term plan for him is already well underway.
“I think he's got more than enough talent to be in Formula 1, which is the most important thing,” explained the freshly crowned Formula E champion.
“But I don't know, I think the FP1 sessions are quite difficult. There's a lot of attention, you don't get so many laps.
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"So for us, it was more ticking a box and giving the team what they need in terms of feedback and giving him his first experience.
“I think there's a broader programme going on behind-the-scenes to make sure that he's ready for F1 but I believe he will be.”
With more FP1 appearances likely on the horizon and Red Bull’s full support, Lindblad’s trajectory is pointing skyward.
If Rowland’s words are anything to go by, this young lion is not just a future F1 driver – he’s a future star. Watch this space!
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