Red Bull’s request for an exemption has been granted by the FIA: young talent Arvid Lindblad has been granted a Formula 1 super license and can now step in at short notice
Is this the first indication of a possible race ban for world champion Max Verstappen? Red Bull has requested an exemption from the FIA for Formula 2 talent Arvid Lindblad to be granted a super license – and this has now been formally approved, as the world governing body announced on Tuesday in a statement issued following the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting in Macau.
“The FIA has received an application for a super license for Arvid Lindblad before his 18th birthday,” the statement said. “After reviewing the information submitted in support of this application, the World Council found that the driver has consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competitions and therefore approved the application.”
A similar procedure was followed last year at the request of the Mercedes racing team, which, referring to a clause in the FIA’s International Sporting Code, also applied for an exemption for Kimi Antonelli, who was 17 at the time, which was granted.
The same now applies to Lindblad, who will not turn 18 until August 8. Without the exemption, he would have had to wait until that date to participate in official Formula 1 sessions. With the approval of the application, the Briton can now be deployed directly as an additional F1 reserve driver for Red Bull and the Racing Bulls, complementing the existing replacement driver Ayumu Iwasa.
Who will replace Verstappen if he is suspended?
The situation is particularly explosive because Red Bull’s number one driver Verstappen is now only one penalty point away from a race ban following the recent incidents in Barcelona. This means that he must get through the Grand Prix weekends in Canada and Austria without any further violations in order to lose points from his account.
However, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko recently denied any direct connection between Lindblad’s request and the situation surrounding Verstappen, pointing out that the request had been submitted earlier.
Meanwhile, in Spain, Lindblad, who is currently third in the championship, celebrated his first Formula 2 race win for Campos Racing – and seems to have once again recommended himself for an early move into one of the four Red Bull cockpits in the premier class: regardless of whether Verstappen’s possible suspension now accelerates this process or not…