Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Liam Lawson is entering the first season of his F1 career in which he has led the development of the car he will be racing in, and Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane has some words of advice for the young Kiwi to extract the most out of the VCARB03.
After a disastrous start to his first full-time gig in F1 last year with Red Bull, Liam Lawson has now had time to settle in at Racing Bulls and stake his claim as a worthy candidate for a frontrunning outfit.
Lawson has the backing of personnel within the Racing Bulls setup, so there’s no reason for him to begin the year under pressure, which is when mistakes will be made.
After a week of testing already under his belt, the early forecasts for Racing Bulls’ chances in the constructors’ championship are positive, but that will mean nothing if the 24-year-old is unable to make the most of the machine under him.
Name the one driver you think is most likely to lose their F1 seat in 2026 👇
Alan Permane says Liam Lawson needs to ‘work on’ his consistency and stability in 2026
During an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the first day of F1’s second pre-season Bahrain test, Racing Bulls boss Alan Permane was asked to share what he expects from Liam Lawson in the upcoming season of racing.
Permane previously identified Lawson’s qualifying inconsistencies as something he needs to stamp out, with the upcoming term suggested to be a decisive one for the future of the 24-year-old in F1.
In his most recent interview, Permane said, “For me, Liam is a genuine talent, and I’m really happy to have him with us again this year.
“He overcame a tough time like being relegated from Red Bull at the start of the year after just a few races, and he’s bounced back very well.
“We’ve seen some moments over the last year where his talent really shone, and that’s something you either have or you don’t.
“He needs to work on his consistency and try to stabilise during his most positive moments, but I’m sure his talent isn’t lacking.”
Permane still isn’t convinced about keeping Lawson in the future, so if the Kiwi is able to show that he has made some good progress in the areas that the British engineer has outlined for him, then it may bolster his position on the F1 grid.
Is Max Verstappen unfairly painted as a villain?
Alan Permane also explained how the team culture at Racing Bulls allows the team to thrive
One of the main reasons why Lawson’s stint at Red Bull went so wrong was down to the culture inside the Austrian constructor’s Milton Keynes factory.
Things have now been fixed following the appointment of Laurent Mekies, and Permane has further praised the culture within Racing Bulls that was planted by the Frenchman.
During his interview with the Italian publication, he added, “I honestly think that having a team that can support each other is the key to working well.
“In a team that manages high levels of stress, like the ones we face in Formula 1, people need to trust each other to perform at their best.
“I’ve always thought this working dynamic was one of the most beautiful things in the world of motorsport, and in Faenza we have a team where people care for each other and never blame each other.”
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
