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Silverstone, the first Sunday in July. Arvid Lindblad takes the flag in seventh, points on the board at the first British Grand Prix he has driven as a race driver. He is 18. He is the only rookie on the 2026 grid.
A year ago he was a Formula 2 driver borrowing an FP1 session in a Red Bull at the same circuit. Before that he was the youngest race winner in the history of both Formula 3 and Formula 2. The climb has been quick, and it has been steep.
Off the track, Lindblad is a face of HUGO's Red Means Go campaign, this comes through the partnership that Hugo Eyewear has with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team. The brand's platform about the distance between what is expected of you and what you actually want. It suits a teenager who decided at five that he was going to reach Formula 1, and then did it.
CircleZeroEight: HUGO's new Red Means GO campaign looks at how many young people grow up caught between expectations and their true ambitions. Your career as an F1 driver feels like a perfect example of that tension. Was this always the dream for you, even as a child?
“There's always been a massive respect towards these guys, but I was never scared of them.”
— Arvid Lindblad
Arvid Lindblad: I fell in love with this sport when I was five years old, and from that moment, being in Formula One was all I dreamed about. I always believed it was possible, and that's what makes being here now feel so special.
CircleZeroEight: You became the youngest winner in both F3 and F2. Was there a moment when the established names in motorsport stopped feeling out of reach, when you first sensed you could compete with anyone?
Arvid Lindblad: Naturally, as I rose through the ranks, I started to see the big guys as more humans, instead of my idols. In the end, there was always a part of me that believed I could be in Formula One, and that is where my focus was. There's always been a massive respect towards these guys, but I was never scared of them.
“I fell in love with this sport when I was five years old”
— Arvid Lindblad
CircleZeroEight: The jump to F1 is as much mental as mechanical. How did Racing Bulls help you handle this step up?
Arvid Lindblad: VCARB is very used to welcoming in rookies, so they knew how to get me up to speed and get me comfortable. Just in terms of integration within the team, they've been amazing.
CircleZeroEight: Silverstone is your home race. What does a British Grand Prix mean to a driver who grew up watching it?
Arvid Lindblad: I think it's very special, and definitely the race that, as a British driver, you want to win most. I remember really well when last year I had my first official FP1 outing. It's the race I've been looking forward to most this year, and it was really special to go out of the garage on Friday and score points in my first home Grand Prix.
“I look for sunglasses that are light, comfortable and easy to wear, a pair that goes naturally with my style.”
— Arvid Lindblad
CircleZeroEight: You spend most of your working life in a helmet or team kit. When you do get to dress the way you want, how do you think about it? Where does something like eyewear come into that?
Arvid Lindblad: When I'm off the track, I do have an interest in fashion as an 18-year old guy. I always try to wear something cool and clothes that I like, as that's something I'm really keen on. Now, coming into summer, surely, I'll be looking at wearing more sunglasses.
CircleZeroEight: Formula 1 runs on precision. What do you look for when choosing a pair of sunglasses?
Arvid Lindblad: I look for sunglasses that are light, comfortable and easy to wear, a pair that goes naturally with my style. That's why I like the HUGO Eyewear sunglasses and I'm drawn towards them.
This interview was produced in partnership with HUGO.
Arvid Lindblad wears HUGO Eyewear. - Available to purchase here
