Alan Permane opens up on Isack Hadjar securing Racing Bulls' first podium under his leadership (Exclusive)

Alan Permane believes that Isack Hadjar’s podium under his leadership as team principal of Racing Bulls has had a significant impact on the team. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda in Azerbaijan, the Briton reckoned that the result lifted the mood of the staff at the Faenza factory and served as a major source of motivation.

Hadjar secured his maiden podium in Belgium after the retirement of Lando Norris, but the Racing Bulls rookie had already qualified fourth on merit to start from the second row. In a rain-affected race, the Frenchman held his own under pressure from Ferrari and Mercedes, and even matched Max Verstappen’s pace in certain phases. His podium marked the sixth in the history of the Faenza outfit since its inception as Red Bull’s junior team.

Permane admitted that the result had transformed the atmosphere within the team and boosted morale across the factory. While he stressed that Hadjar earned the podium on merit, he also expressed sympathy for Norris, whose race ended due to a technical failure. The former Alpine Sporting Director underlined that a podium finish is always a special achievement in Formula 1, but for Racing Bulls it was a much-needed milestone given their limited success in the sport’s history.

Asked by Sportskeeda what the podium of Isack Hadjar meant for him under his leadership role, Permane said:

“Amazing, of course. I think it's been amazing for everyone in this organisation, and even in my previous role it would have been amazing. It's a results business we're in, so to achieve a podium is fantastic, for Isack [Hadjar] to achieve it on merit, we of course have to say a small apology, or say that we feel a little bit for Lando [Norris] and his misfortune there. But we were fourth, racing Ferrari [and] racing Mercedes on merit, so a very well-deserved podium, a great feeling, and really great to not only experience it on Sunday. But Monday I was back in the factory in Italy with all the staff, we all got the staff together to have a small celebration in the afternoon, that was really good to see everyone's faces and the motivation of everyone, it's great.”

Asked if it impacted the atmosphere at the factory, he replied:

“Hugely, results are everything, you can feel it, you can feel the whole factory lifted up by something like that, especially something that's a much stronger result than we've had for the rest of this season. I think this team has scored five or six podiums in its history, so it's a big deal for this team, yet you certainly feel the passion and the excitement of all the staff.”

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Alan Permane outlines the differences between Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and Isaack Hadjar

Alan Permane believes that all three drivers he has worked with at Racing Bulls bring different strengths and levels of adaptability. The Briton reckoned that Yuki Tsunoda’s five seasons of experience with the Faenza outfit have made him a naturally quick driver with strong tire management skills, often surprising him with his pace and consistency.

Speaking about Liam Lawson, Permane felt the New Zealander is more analytical in his approach and takes longer to adapt, with car setup playing a big role in extracting his best performance. He suggested that Lawson’s analytical style is the reason it took him more time to deliver competitive results.

As for rookie Isack Hadjar, Permane was impressed by his ability to maximise performance despite the car’s limitations. He believes the French-Algerian driver’s adaptability is his biggest asset, noting that he does not restrict himself to a specific driving style, which allows him to extract the best from varying situations.

Asked by Sportskeeda to point out the highlights of the three current Racing Bulls drivers he has worked with, Permane said:

“Well, they're all very quick. Yuki obviously a lot more experienced than the other guys, I think he was in his fifth season when I worked with even I was pleasantly surprised, getting to know Yuki and again, like to think I tried to help him anywhere I could. Again, a super, super quick driver and one guy who really seemed to understand how to get the best out of the tires and serving in a qualifying lap, he was able to really put a very good lap together.”

Highlighting Lawson's analytical style, Permane explained:

“Liam is a bit more analytical driver. It took us a little bit of time to get the car to his liking. You see at the start of the season, he obviously had a couple of very tough braces with Red Bull then came to us and it took us three or four or five races, to really understand how to put a car together for him. We did that, we had a bit of a breakthrough. Around Monaco, Austria time, we really started to get comfortable with the car. But he's a guy who's quite analytical with his driving and with his setup.”

As for Hadjar, Permane pointed out:

“I think with Isack, he's a guy who will drive. He will just try and get the best out of the car. He doesn't seem to have a particular style, could really point to or identify, but it feels like you give him what's quickest and he'll try and make that. He'll drive that, which is a real strength in a driver.”

Out of the three Racing Bulls drivers, Isack Hadjar remains the only one to have scored a podium for the team. Both Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, however, have shown their one-lap pace by qualifying in the top three within the last 12 months, Tsunoda securing P3 in Brazil [2024] and Lawson matching the feat in Azerbaijan. The New Zealander’s recent fifth-place finish in Baku was also a much-needed confidence boost, marking a potential turning point in his season.

As it stands, Racing Bulls have fielded all three drivers in 2025 and currently sit sixth in the constructors’ standings with 72 points. They trail Williams by 34 points but hold a slender 10-point advantage over Aston Martin, who led the midfield pack in 2024.