Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane praises his predecessor and Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies in the highest terms – Frenchman a “really great man” for the team?
The dismissal of Christian Horner has significantly changed the leadership structure of two Formula 1 teams: While former Racing Bulls team boss Laurent Mekies takes over the Briton’s position at Red Bull Racing, Alan Permane is promoted from sporting director to team boss at Racing Bulls.
Permane sees Mekies as the ideal candidate for one of the most demanding leadership roles in Formula 1. “I think they’re getting a really great guy,”
“He’s a sociable person. He’s a racer. He understands the racing business, but he’s also exceptionally good with people,” emphasizes Permane. “I’ve worked with many team principals in my 36 years in Formula 1, and he’s definitely one of the best.”
Nevertheless, Mekies has big shoes to fill at Red Bull: former team boss Horner once formed the team from the remnants of the struggling Jaguar racing team and led it through two dominant phases – first with Sebastian Vettel, then with Max Verstappen.
Permane also has “huge shoes to fill.”
In addition to his sporting responsibilities, Mekies will also be in charge of one of the most complex technical projects of the present day: Horner had initiated the development of Red Bull Powertrains with the aim of taking over the development of the power unit itself from 2026. The unit is being built at the expanding site in Milton Keynes.
Permane, who has worked closely with Laurent Mekies at Racing Bulls for the past 18 months, is convinced that the Frenchman is ideally equipped for this demanding task and has all the necessary qualities and experience.
But even for Permane himself, the promotion from sporting director to team principal is not easy. “For me, these are huge shoes to fill. I am very fortunate that there is a very strong management team in Faenza and Milton Keynes, they are simply brilliant.”
“I know them well because I’ve been part of this management team for the past 18 months, and they’re helping me with the transition,” explains the new Racing Bulls team boss. “But as I said, Red Bull is getting someone in Laurent who is very competent and can lead the team excellently.”
Permane sees “working synergies”
Even though Mekies will certainly make his own mark at Red Bull Racing after a transition period, Permane believes that his previous work at Racing Bulls will ensure continuity, especially in the interaction between the two teams within the limits of the regulations.
In addition to chassis components and gearboxes, Racing Bulls will also switch to Red Bull’s in-house engines from 2026. “That will be extremely helpful. But I’m sure Laurent and Christian have worked well together,” said Permane.
“The synergies work well, and we will continue this synergy program within the regulations,” he continues. “We will both be in Milton Keynes at times, but there will also be times when I am in Faenza while the technical team in Milton Keynes takes care of the synergy issues. I don’t see any problems there.”
Alan Permane began his Formula 1 career in 1989 as an engineer at Benetton and became a fixture in the Enstone team over the following decades, first under Renault, then Lotus, and most recently Alpine. In the summer of 2024, he was dismissed along with then-team boss Otmar Szafnauer. From January 2024, Permane served as sporting director at Racing Bulls.
