Arvid Lindblad was very impressive in Formula 3 this season, challenging for the championship at the final round of the season at Monza.
The British driver didn’t clinch the title after suffering a point-less weekend in Italy and finishing fourth in the standings for PREMA.
Lindblad drove admirably over the year, winning four races in his rookie season including a memorable double victory at Silverstone.
The Red Bull junior took the unorthodox route to FIA F3, moving from Italian F4 and skipping regional F3 series such as GB3 and FRECA.
He has already secured a drive in Formula 2 ahead of the 2025 season, and Lindblad is already anticipating a good relationship with Campos after spending time with the team in Baku this year.
Yet despite a very competitive F3 season and the pressure of racing on Grand Prix weekends, Ian Parkes has suggested on the RacingNews365 podcast that Lindblad still has work to do to convince Red Bull that he is ready to race in F1 with Visa Cash App RB.
Ian Parkes believes Arvid Lindblad ‘needs that F2 drive’ before becoming a contender for a Formula 1 seat
FIA F3 is a very unique championship with 30 cars often making racing very chaotic and a different prospect to Formula 2.
Lindblad has proven he can manage the Pirelli tyres which are notoriously difficult to grasp while racing on some tracks for the first time.
F2 will also be a step up with more new circuits for Lindblad such as the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
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Parkes explained that the Red Bull junior needs to compete in Formula 2 before he can be considered for a drive in Formula 1.
He said: “They’ve got Arvid Lindblad coming through F3, but he’s still at least another year away yet, because I do think that he needs that F2 drive first before Red Bull would even consider popping him into the RB seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda for 2025.”
Formula 2 may be a challenge for Arvid Lindblad despite an impressive season in F3
Formula 2 has provided the platform for F1 race winners such as George Russell and Oscar Piastri to hone their craft, winning the title in their rookie season.
The championship has been difficult for some drivers to adapt despite a select few stepping up and competing at the front of the field straight away.
Other drivers such as Gabriele Mini and Luke Browning, who are also contending for a seat in F2, have gathered experience, completing the race weekend in Azerbaijan.
Lindblad hasn’t raced in F2 yet which may make the learning curve steeper next year although the Red Bull junior has proven he can adapt quickly in FIA F3.