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Arvid Lindblad, the new poster child of Indian motorsports
The British driver of Indian and Swedish heritage discusses his roots and the pride he feels in representing India in Formula One with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.
Arvid Lindblad’s exploits in formula racing have led to plenty of praise over the years, even earning him the title of generational talent.
The driver who hails from Virginia Water in Surrey, England, started in single-seater racing in 2022 and quickly made his way up the ranks. He became the youngest driver to win a race in Formula Three in 2024 and then followed it up as the youngest race winner in Formula Two in 2025.
These impressive performances earned Lindblad a seat in Formula One, the pinnacle of open-wheel racing. Now competing in his debut season with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, the 18-year-old finished an impressive eighth on his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
Lindblad impressed on his F1 debut in Melbourne
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
From karting to open-wheel racing
Lindblad made his competitive debut in the British national karting circuit at eight years of age. After several years of karting success in mostly British and European competitions, he stepped up to open-wheel racing in 2022.
In the first vlog on his YouTube channel, he credits his hard-working parents for instilling in him a grit and determination that has seen him rise to the very top of the sport.
The young driver was popular with fans in Melbourne
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
“Work first. No shortcuts. Be a fighter,” is what he says in the video voiceover. And a conversation with him about his parents and origins echoes the same belief structure.
“I come from a multicultural, multifaith background. And that’s at the core of my being,” says Lindblad.
His full name – Arvid Anand Olof Lindblad – reflects that multicultural identity. Arvid and Olof are given names from his father’s Swedish background, while Anand is the name of his maternal grandfather who hails from Bihar, India.
Connecting with his roots
After making his debut with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls in Australia, Lindblad became only the third driver of Indian origin to race in F1, following in the footsteps of Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan. While he hasn’t witnessed motor racing in India, he’s been focused on learning more about his Indian heritage.
“I visited India in December 2024. It was my first time in the country,” reveals Lindblad. “My mum was born and brought up in the UK. But her parents are from Punjab. They are both doctors; they were studying in Delhi, where they met and fell in love. Then they moved to the UK.
“We don’t really have much family in India. My connection to India is mostly through my grandparents and the memories of the places they lived in Delhi. So when I came to India, I got to see the places where my grandparents spent their lives as young adults. That felt a bit like a homecoming and sort of a family-ish connection.”
During his first two visits to India, Lindblad made it a point to explore as much of the country as possible, taking in the sights and tastes.
Lindblad in front of the famed India Gate in New Delhi
© Focus Sports/Red Bull Content Pool
When I came to India, I got to see the places where my grandparents spent their lives as young adults.
“So far, I’ve been to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in December 2024, and Mumbai in December 2025,” he says. “I saw the Taj Mahal in Agra, Tiger Fort in Jaipur, India Gate and the Gandhi Memorial in Delhi. In Mumbai, I visited the Gateway of India and Marine Drive.
“When I visited Delhi last year, it was more about the museums, monuments and touristy stuff, you know. But in Mumbai, I wanted to get an experience of what it’s like living in India. So we visited a clothes market and a food market. I ate fire paan and vada pav.
“For me, the 2025 trip was about this kind of stuff, you know. I just wanted an experience of normal life. An experience of being an Indian in India.”
While he sampled some street delicacies in Mumbai, Lindblad is no stranger to Indian food.
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“I've had a lot of Indian food growing up because my grandparents are very traditional people," he says. "They carried their culture and lifestyle to the UK. So I feel like I’ve been born into the Indian culture because I grew up eating my nani’s Indian food; I love rajma, chapati and dal – I even tried cooking it with my nani!
“I’ve also participated in pujas at home and visited the temple. We celebrate Diwali every year."
Having been born and raised in England, Lindblad only speaks a little bit of Hindi. But he hopes to spend more time in India so he can learn to speak Hindi and Punjabi fluently.
One opportunity came in March, when Lindblad travelled to Delhi for Red Bull Moto Jam 2026. Speaking ahead of the event, he said: "It’s going to be amazing driving an F1 car on the streets of Delhi. It will be even more special for me because it’s going to be my first showrun as a Formula One driver, and doing that in India, with my heritage and background, is obviously something that I’m very excited about."
Lindblad had the chance to take a VCARB-branded F1 car to India
© Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool
F1 in India
While Lindblad is concentrating on impressing in his debut season in Formula One, he has also thought about the future and the possibility of F1 returning to India. The last time a race was held in the country was back in 2013 when Sebastian Vettel triumphed at the Buddh International Circuit.
“It would be really cool if Formula One were to have the Indian Grand Prix on the calendar once again. Obviously, with my connection to the country, I’d love to race here. But also with the number of Indian motorsports fans that are there, they deserve to have the top level of racing in their country," he says.
“I’ve recently started doing vlogs of my life on YouTube, and of course I post regularly on Instagram. Whenever I put up something new, I always get a lot of Indian fans showing support and wishing me well.
“My video cooking with my grandmother has so many comments from people saying they love that I call her nani because they also call their grandmother nani. Social media has been a great way to connect with Indian motorsports fans and I hope to continue getting their support."
For his part, Lindblad' carries a little bit of India into every one of his races.
“Obviously, I do race under the British flag. But I'm very, very proud of my Swedish and Indian heritage," adds Lindblad. "I'm very proud to be representing Great Britain, Sweden and India whenever I race. And I carry that with me everywhere, which is why I have all three flags as part of my helmet design, and I’ll continue to do so.
