Arvid Lindblad, the 18-year-old Formula 2 star with Indian roots, feels super proud to showcase his heritage on the world stage. The young racer, whose mother is Indian, opened up in an exclusive chat with about how his Indian culture shapes his life and fuels his drive in motorsport.
“I’m really proud of my Indian heritage,” Lindblad shared. “My mum is Indian, and I’ve grown up close to my grandparents, soaking in that culture even though I was raised in the UK. It’s a big part of who I am, and I carry it everywhere with me.”
Right now, Lindblad holds seventh place in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, racing for Campos Racing. He’s also part of Red Bull’s Junior Drivers Programme, where he gets to learn from the top talents in the sport. He credits the team’s support, especially from Helmut Marko, for getting him this far. “I wouldn’t be here without them,” he added.
When it comes to inspiration, Lindblad looks up to Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion and the only Black driver to win the title. “Growing up, Lewis was my biggest role model,” Lindblad explained. “When I started karting, there weren’t many people of colour in the sport, so seeing him made me feel connected. His first F1 year was the year I was born, and he was dominating. As I’ve climbed the ranks, I respect all the greats, but Lewis was my starting point.”
Lindblad has huge respect for current F1 stars too, especially three-time defending champion Max Verstappen. “The competition in F1 is insane right now,” he said. “Max is on another level—what he’s achieving is something we’ve never seen before. I admire them all.”
Lindblad jumped to Formula 2 in 2025 after a strong Formula 3 season, where he finished fourth in the Drivers’ Championship with four wins. He even set a record as the youngest winner in F3 history. Then, he broke another record in F2 by becoming the youngest victor there, thanks to his win in the 2025 Jeddah Sprint race.
Reflecting on that moment, Lindblad said, “Winning in Jeddah kicked off the season perfectly and felt amazing, especially breaking the F2 record after doing it in F3. But the F3 one in my debut race meant more—it showed I could handle the step up. It was just great to start strong despite the challenges.”
With his Indian heritage and rising talent, Lindblad is one to watch in the world of Formula racing.
