Racing Bulls have yet to announce their 2027 drivers. Speaking on Friday at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, team principal Alan Permane said the team wanted a more systematic assessment before deciding and understood the frustration of its current drivers. Formula1.com published the interview on November 7.
Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov are in contention. Formula1.com placed Lawson ninth and Lindblad 11th in the drivers’ standings, separated by 45 points. Tsolov sits second in the current F2 standings during his rookie season and had driven for Racing Bulls in opening practice in Mexico.
Permane said outright speed remained the first requirement, but developing young drivers also required an experienced reference. He did not equate a junior-development role with continually changing drivers. Experience could help the team judge a newcomer’s underlying level, which makes one practice classification an insufficient basis for the two-seat decision.
The explanation follows Lawson’s admission before the Brazilian weekend that he did not know what more he needed to do. Permane acknowledged the frustration, praised both current drivers and said the team still had time to complete its assessment.
Work on the current car continued alongside that discussion. Lindblad said changes between Friday’s sessions improved his comfort and confidence. Permane described the day as less competitive than the team’s strongest Fridays and said simulator work was continuing ahead of potentially changeable weather.
INKA SPORTS Analysis and Conclusion: The reference needed to develop young drivers
INKA SPORTS sees the new information as an explanation of the selection process. Speed opens the competition, while experience affects how the team measures and develops it. The decisive next development will be the team’s confirmed line-up and its stated reasons for choosing it.
