Lindblad scheduled to make his debut at Silverstone on Friday - Marko

      "We're making preparations in case something serious happens to Max Verstappen."

      Arvid Lindblad is being expedited into Red Bull's Formula 1 driver lineup, as admitted by advisor Dr. Helmut Marko. Recently, the FIA approved Red Bull's request for special permission for the Swedish-British F2 driver to receive an F1 super license, despite him being only 17 years old. On Monday, the energy drink company had Lindblad test a 2023 Alpha Tauri car to begin accumulating Formula 1 test laps at Imola.

      "He spent half the day in the car on Monday in Italy for preparation," Marko told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper. "He will then participate in the (current) car for Friday practice at Silverstone. He is notable for his mental toughness and self-assurance," the 82-year-old Austrian added. "His Swedish-Indian background is clearly a benefit for racing."

      Marko confirmed the rumors that accelerating Lindblad's path to F1 is a priority for Red Bull, although he downplays the chances of a driver change in 2025. "No, we’re ready in case something significant occurs with Max Verstappen regarding his penalty points," he disclosed. "Our other reserve driver, Ayumu Iwasa, has commitments in Japan that conflict with Formula 1. We even arranged with another (F1) team for some races—at one point, one reserve driver was assigned to three teams," Marko explained. "It's not easy to find someone in top form, which is why Lindblad is in the car now."

      Marko, however, assures that Red Bull's junior program remains in good health. "We have Juan Pablo Montoya's son (Sebastian) in Formula 2 now," the Austrian said. "There’s plenty of talent in the pipeline, which is exciting. We’re continuously developing the program, staying true to our motto 'We don’t buy stars, we make them.' But as you mentioned, Formula 1 is currently quite challenging."

      When asked to elaborate on that statement, Marko acknowledged that while the Racing Bulls car is manageable, only Max Verstappen appears to be able to drive the 2025 Red Bull effectively. "We’ve observed the same car tendencies for two years now," he commented. "It bounces over curbs, it understeers in turns, and then it transitions into oversteer. The operational window is extremely narrow."

      Marko revealed that Red Bull will introduce an upgrade for its home race this weekend. "We're bringing an update for Austria, which will be further refined for Silverstone," he said. "But if that doesn’t work, the championship will become challenging. And it’s not as if things aren't already tough."