The director of the Racing Bulls team in Formula 1, Alan Permane, has urged his drivers, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, to take example from Max Verstappen‘s communications to improve their performance on the track.
Lawson and Lindblad are the least experienced drivers of the 2026 championship, with only 35 races contested between the two. This figure contrasts considerably with the drivers of Mercedes, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, who have a total of 176 races. Thus, the need to learn is essential for them.
Permane has commented that Verstappen’s calm and effective communications serve as a model. ‘Currently, we use GPS and listen to his radio. I always tell our drivers that they should listen to how calm his communications are. His feedback is exceptional,’ he stated at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Permane considers Verstappen a clear example to follow both for his pace and his attitude while competing. ‘That is why I see him as a benchmark. Good behavior inside and outside the car is exemplified by what I see from him,’ he added.
Despite its relationship with Red Bull, Racing Bulls uses the same learning tools as the other teams. Lawson, when asked whether he continues to learn from his previous teammate, stated that he observes the strategies of all drivers while competing: ‘We have access to the same data as all teams, and even though I’m not his current teammate, you always learn from what others do.’
So far, Lawson and Lindblad have shown comparable competitiveness in the 2026 races. Lawson has qualified ahead of Lindblad 8 times in 14 attempts, and has scored 43 points compared to the 23 of the rookie, but recent races have been much more balanced with a 27-18 in favor of Lawson.
Permane has expressed his satisfaction in having two fast options and has anticipated that the competition between them may be intense. ‘In the practices of the Belgian Grand Prix, their lap times were separated by milliseconds. This will test their capability throughout the season,’ he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
