Lindblad or Iwasa? Who should Racing Bulls choose?
- Alex Johnston
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
On the face of it, it’s a simple answer - but it’s anything but. Red Bull’s academy has an incredible track record of developing top drivers - seven of the current grid in fact have raced under Red Bull colours at some stage. However, is there a fight between two for a seat in 2026?
It seems likely one of Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda will depart at the end of the season, with rookie Isack Hadjar stepping up - meaning someone needs to come in. Question is; Ayumu Iwasa, or Arvid Lindblad?
Iwasa, 24, was on the verge of becoming an F2 veteran and was perhaps unlucky to have not been considered previously. In his two F2 seasons with DAMS, he registered a fifth place and a fourth place finish, winning five times overall.
A switch to Super Formula in Japan followed, with the Japanese driver becoming champion in his second season in the championship. Stellar showings, and dare I say; a better option than Yuki Tsunoda?
Then we have Arvid Lindblad - who seems to be one of those ‘generational talents’, with determination to be the best and to race for the best teams. He’s in the Red Bull stable, so a good place to start.
He’s stepped up to F2 after one season in F3 that saw him tie what was then the record for most wins before his Red Bull teammate Nikola Tsolov usurped it.
In F2, he currently sits seventh, out of championship contention and and with inconsistent qualifyings a hindrance to his season. He’s rough round the edges for sure, but with scary natural speed and an eagerness to compete - admired by Red Bull’s Helmut Marko who has huge influence on decisions over drivers.
Rumours suggest Lindblad has been selected, but from a personal point of view, the young Brit could do with another F2 season to smooth off those aforementioned smooth edges, giving the new Super Formula Champion Iwasa the nod.
But hey, what do I know?
📸 Image credits: Super Formula, Red Bull Content Pool, Formula Motorsport Limited.
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