The FIA has granted an exemption to allow Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad to obtain a Super Licence. The decision, made Tuesday at the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Macau, permits current Formula 2 driver Lindblad to compete in an F1 race weekend before he turns 18 in August.

By Calla Kra-Caskey and Michael McClure

The exemption granted to F2 rookie Lindblad, a member of the Red Bull Junior team, came after a request lodged months before by Red Bull Racing, who confirmed to Feeder Series on 13 March that they had made the request.

The matter gained significance after Red Bull Racing F1 driver Max Verstappen reached 11 penalty points on his Super Licence, one away from a race ban. The reigning F1 champion added three to his total at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month.

With a Super Licence, Lindblad would be allowed to race for Red Bull or sister team RB should Verstappen hit 12 penalty points before Lindblad’s 18th birthday on 8 August.

Last June, the FIA modified Appendix L of the International Sporting Code to allow 17-year-olds to possess a Super Licence under special circumstances. The change came a month after a request was made for Kimi Antonelli, then 17 years old and a Mercedes junior, to obtain a Super Licence, believed to have come from Mercedes-powered Williams Racing. Antonelli did not end up making his first free practice appearance until 30 August, five days after his 18th birthday. 

The clause requiring Super Licence holders to have a valid driving licence was removed entirely. The article establishing a minimum age of 18 received an addendum. Article 13.1.2, previously 13.1.3, now reads, “At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a Super Licence at the age of 17 years old.”

Article 13.2.2 allows the same exception to be granted for a Free Practice Only Super Licence. 

In order to be eligible for a Super Licence, a driver must also accumulate 40 Super Licence points across up to three consecutive years in motorsport competition. Lindblad took three points from placing fifth in F4 UAE in 2023, seven points from placing third in Italian F4 later that year and 15 from placing fourth in F3 in 2024. This winter, he added 18 Super Licence points by winning the FRegional Oceania Championship, bringing his total to 43. 

Lindblad is currently third in the Formula 2 standings in his rookie season, just eight points behind championship leader Alex Dunne and 30 points ahead of Campos teammate and RBJT stablemate Pepe Martí. Lindblad became the youngest F2 winner with his sprint race victory in Jeddah in April and the second-youngest F2 polesitter with his pole position in Spain, which he converted to his second win of the season that Sunday.

Lindblad became a Red Bull supported athlete in 2021 and officially joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2022. He is the program’s longest-tenured current member. He has been touted as a future F1 driver for many months, particularly after advisor Helmut Marko sent Lindblad to FR Oceania for the express purpose of collecting Super Licence points. 

The turbulence within the Red Bull family has also increased Lindblad’s F1 chances. The programme has made multiple driver midseason swaps within its two outfits in the past year, beginning with replacing Daniel Ricciardo with Liam Lawson at RB after the Singapore Grand Prix in September of last year. After being promoted to Red Bull Racing over the winter, Lawson was then swapped out for Yuki Tsunoda in March after the second grand prix of 2025. Verstappen’s future with the team is also unclear despite his contract’s running through 2028.

The 2026 F1, F2 and F3 calendars were also confirmed at the World Motor Sport Council meeting. Notably, Imola’s place on all calendars has been taken by the new round at the Madring in Spain, which will hold F2’s 12th round of 2026 and F3’s 10th and final round from 11 to 13 September.

Additional reporting by Martin Lloyd

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency