Yesterday at 11:05
Max Verstappen has addressed Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad being
hailed "the next Max Verstappen", with the highly-regarded
17-year-old being touted as a future F1 driver. Currently racing
his rookie season in F2, the British driver is sixth in the
standings and took part in his first FP1 session for the Milton
Keynes squad at the British Grand Prix. Lindblad was afforded the
opportunity despite his young age after the FIA awarded him a super
licence exemption after accumulating enough points to compete in
F1. The hype surrounding him has come attached to considerable
anticipation and lofty expectations over what he can achieve once
he gets to F1. However, Lindblad is determined to chart his own
course, not merely emulate the Dutchman. "It's obviously very cool
to be associated with a four-time world champion. But on the other
hand, I want to be the first Arvid Lindblad, not the next Max
Verstappen," he defiantly told The Times . Verstappen himself
echoed those thoughts when it was put to him that the Campos Racing
driver could be his second coming. The 27-year-old was effusive in
his praise of Lindblad and also credited his team's academy for how
it is handling the young driver's development. "He raced for my
best friend's go-kart team, so I already had a bit of information
on him, and he's great," Verstappen said to the media, including
RacingNews365 . "He's very fast, and he just needs to do it step by
step. "I think the way that Red Bull is also preparing him is good.
He just needs to do his thing. "Being labelled as the next Max, he
should just be himself. That's what you need to focus on. I think
that's also what he knows how to do. "He has good people around him
who are like a mentor to him. So, yep, step by step. I'm happy for
him. He's doing well. Let's see what happens when he eventually can
get into F1."
