Racing Bulls’ Permane managing expectations for Lawson/Lindblad pairing

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane says he "sees some genius" in Liam Lawson and expects the New Zealander to eradicate more of his poor performances during the 2026 season.

Lawson was promoted to Red Bull for the 2025 season having started just 11 races, but was swiftly returned to Racing Bulls after just two rounds last year. The 23-year-old found his feet to score 38 points and Permane says he wants to see Lawson use the stability of having an off-season with the same team to remove the dips in form he sometimes suffers from.

“I see some genius in Liam,” Permane told RACER. “I see some really, really good stuff. Some amazing drives last year – P3 in Baku qualifying, in a tricky qualifying, and P3, because he was quick, but also because a lot of other people screwed up.

“Vegas, probably the most difficult qualifying of the year, low downforce, wet, walls everywhere, low grip – P6. So there is some really, really good stuff there, and some terrific races. Spa was brilliant from him, Austria he drove a brilliant race, Hungary he drove brilliantly – he beat Max [Verstappen] in Hungary, in an out-and-out race.

“So what I'm looking for from him is to keep that going and just eliminate, or work on, the ones where he inexplicably goes out in Q1, and comes back and says, ‘I don't know what happened,’ and then of course we dig through it. But pre-empting that, so it doesn't happen at all, and just lifting those not-so-good results, lifting those up.

“I don't necessarily think we need to lift the top level; if we can just eliminate the bottom ones to start with, that's what we focus on. I absolutely know he's up for it – we had a long conversation at the end of last year, he really gets it, and he just wants to work harder on that sort of thing.”

Lawson will be paired with rookie Arvid Lindblad this season and Permane has different expectations for the 18-year-old, with his application a main area of focus.

“I think what we want from him is just to do as well as he can, to work hard," Permane said of Lindblad. "I can see he gets it, although we obviously haven't really worked together much. It's hard work to do everything you need to do, because there’s a lot to do.

“There’s a lot in yourself, in setting your car up, in keeping an eye on what the other guy's doing – because there might be something interesting there – and in what other drivers are doing. Some drivers spend hours and hours studying lines and onboard cameras – ‘What's this guy doing at the chicane?’ and that sort of thing – and that all gives you another little half a percent.

“I don't see why there won't be a good work ethic, but I think that's one thing that all drivers need, especially if you're a rookie.”