What changed
Red Bull has extended Alan Permane’s contract as Racing Bulls team principal through the end of 2031.
Permane, 59, took the role in July 2025 after Laurent Mekies moved to Red Bull. Racing Bulls are fifth in this season’s championship after 19 races, and claimed their first podium in four years at last season’s Dutch Grand Prix with Isack Hadjar.
Why it matters
This is a long vote of confidence in the man running Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team. Permane is not being asked to steady the operation for a few months; he now has a mandate stretching deep into the next championship cycle.
That matters because Racing Bulls are currently the leading team behind Formula 1’s “big four”. Fifth place is not a title challenge, but it gives Permane a clear platform to build from rather than a rescue job to explain.
His experience is a major part of the decision. Before joining Red Bull, Permane spent 34 years with the Enstone team through its Benetton, Renault and Lotus eras, winning two world titles each with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso.
The new deal gives Racing Bulls continuity at the top. What it does not provide is a published performance target or a technical plan. For now, the message is simpler: Red Bull believes Permane’s clarity and steady leadership are helping the team move forward, and wants him there for the long haul.
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