Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane says the team is committed to supporting Liam Lawson’s journey in Formula 1,, describing him as an “exceptional talent”.
Lawson was moved back to Racing Bulls after struggling for two races alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, but has been generally perceived to have been performing closer to his potential since then.
Lawson does not yet have his future secured within the Red Bull stable for next season, but spoke of the process of being left “on hold” as a normal one within the team.
Whether or not he will keep his seat remains to be seen, with Formula 2’s Arvid Lindblad having been linked with a step up to Formula 1, and Red Bull Racing holding the key to the drivers to be signed to Racing Bulls.
Lawson, along with Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar, face a wait to find out what the future holds, but the New Zealander’s form has largely improved over the course of the season, which the team principal partially puts down to having a car that is easier to work with than the Red Bull RB21.
When it was put to Permane that Lawson had perhaps rediscovered his form after his short run at Red Bull, the team principal told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com: “Perhaps. But we know we have achieved an important goal with this car, and that is ease of handling.
“I don’t want to belittle the work of the engineers, but we know the path to follow to get the maximum performance that this car can deliver.
“Last year we weren’t in this situation, but today we can put the car in a window that gives the drivers a lot of confidence while ensuring good performance thanks to good aerodynamic load.”
It will have been a shock to the system to not just leave Red Bull after a short period for Lawson, but to be placed straight into a car which he had never previously driven for the remainder of the year.
=
Permane praised the way which the 23-year-old has handled the rest of the year to date, and explained his belief that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was proof of his “exceptional talent” behind the wheel.
“When Liam returned to us after only two races, we knew there was work to be done, and I really appreciated his approach,” Permane said.
“I know that our drivers want to win a world championship with Red Bull, and in Liam’s case, we are working together to ensure that dream is still achievable.
“If we look at his results, we see that it took him four or five races to find the right confidence with a car he had never driven before. He also found himself up against a teammate who has everything it takes to be considered the best rookie of the season.
“I believe Liam has exceptional talent. He has worked hard with his engineers and the whole team, reaching what has been his peak so far in qualifying in Baku, where he finished third in conditions made very difficult by the arrival of rain. The next day, he confirmed his talent with an excellent fifth place in the race.”
