Red Bull's next Formula 1 star is close to landing his FIA superlicence. The licence is a requirement for all drivers who want to take part in any official F1 session. Governing body the FIA has a complicated points system which forces racers to reach a threshold of 40 points through their performance in other racing categories. And close to that magic number now is Britain's next big hope, Arvid Lindblad. The 17-year-old, who also holds Swedish citizenship but races under the Union Flag, will race in Formula 2 this season but has spent the winter racing elsewhere.

Lindblad is on the other side of the globe, competing in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship. The Red Bull junior has won seven races in the series already and is now within just one more of securing a result good enough to see him qualify for a superlicence. His most recent victory at Teretonga Park in New Zealand was his fourth in a row and put him in a strong position to get the job done on the final race weekend at Highland Motorsports Park. He secured the win last time out by overtaking team-mate Matias Zagazeta.

"I really wanted to win today," he said afterwards. "The weekend was good, but not as good as the previous weekends and I really wanted to win this race. The start is always crucial and I made a good start, but not a mega start. I knew I had to take the lead. A lot depended on Matias, but he gave me the space.". Lindblad will still require special dispensation from the FIA to get a superlicence before August, when he will celebrate his 18th birthday. The rules were changed last year to allow for that to potentially happen, after the previous blanket ban on anyone under 18 competing in an F1 session.

That rule was originally brought in after Max Verstappen smashed the record for the sport's youngest racer when he made his debut as a 17-year-old. The Dutchman has since gone on to become a four-time champion by the age of 27 and Red Bull have high hopes that Lindblad can follow in his footsteps. "We're looking for a new champion - I think the next one which looks really promising is Arvid Lindblad," driver academy chief Helmut Marko recently said. "He will be next year in Formula 2. He is doing a very good preparation. We are doing a special programme for him, sending him to New Zealand... and the goal is to win it so he gets the necessary points for a superlicence.".

Getting the licence and approval from the FIA would allow Lindblad to drive in practice sessions on race weekends to get used to F1 machinery. It would also make him a candidate for a promotion to a race seat potentially as early as during the upcoming 2025 season, should Red Bull make a change to their all-new driver line-ups with Liam Lawson partnering Verstappen to begin with and last year's F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar a rookie with sister team Racing Bulls.