Racing Bulls Formula 1 team principal Alan Permane has advised his drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad to listen to Max Verstappen’s radio communications.
Lawson and Lindblad form, by far, the least experienced driver lineup on the 2026 grid, with a combined 35 grand prix starts coming into the campaign – much fewer than the second-least seasoned duo, Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli (176 starts).
Needless to say the 24-year-old New Zealander and the British Swede, soon to be 19, have a lot to learn – and Red Bull’s four-time world champion is a simply lovely example to follow, Permane believes.
“At the moment, we use GPS, we listen to his radio,” the team boss said at the Belgian Grand Prix. “One of the things I’m always saying to our guys is, ‘Listen to his communication. Listen to how calm he always is. Listen to how good his feedback is.’
“I think it’s a great example for young drivers, and that’s why I call him a benchmark, because of not only his pace, but how he carries himself in and out of the car is, from what I see, exemplary. That’s why I like to use him as a guide for the younger guys.”
Despite the shared ownership between Red Bull and Racing Bulls, the sister team is only using what’s available to every other squad in the championship.
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Alan Permane, Racing Bulls, Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
Photo by: Luca Barsali – NurPhoto – Getty Images
Coincidentally, Lawson was asked at the Austrian Grand Prix whether he was still learning things from his former team-mate, having had an unsuccessful two-round stint at Red Bull in early 2025 before being demoted back to the Faenza-based outfit.
“We look at all the drivers,” Lawson said. “Obviously, this basic amount of data that’s shared between all the teams that we have access to.
“Now I’m not his team-mate, obviously I only had that for two races. But you pick up things, for sure, when you’re watching what everybody’s doing.”
Regardless, Lawson and Lindblad have been quite evenly matched so far in F1 2026, with the more experienced driver outqualifying the rookie 8-6 and outscoring him 43-23 – but just 27-18 in the last six rounds, as Lindblad settles into F1.
“It’s good to have two quick guys, that’s for sure,” Permane added. “I’m sure there’ll be some management needed. They’re incredibly close. If we look this morning [in Belgian GP FP1], their ideal laps are separated by milliseconds, so it’s going to be nip and tuck, I’m sure, all year.”
Additional reporting by Oleg Karpov
