JULY 9, 2025

Permane named Racing Bulls Team Principal

Alan Permane has been appointed Team Principal of Racing Bulls, stepping up from his current role of Racing Director to lead the Faenza-based Formula 1 team. The move follows Laurent Mekies’ promotion to CEO of Red Bull Racing, in the wake of Christian Horner’s sudden departure from the team he had led since 2005.

Permane’s promotion marks another chapter in a remarkable four-decade-long motorsport career that began in 1989 when he joined Benetton as an electronics engineer. His journey has spanned multiple eras and team identities, through Benetton, Renault, Lotus, and Alpine, where he became a respected figure in race operations before being ousted in a management shake-up in mid-2023.

The 58-year-old brings a wealth of engineering and race strategy experience to the role.

Permane’s appointment underscores a continuing trend in Formula 1 leadership: of the ten current Team Principals on the grid, only Mercedes’ Toto Wolff does not come from an engineering background. Frédéric Vasseur of Ferrari has a degree in aeronautical engineering but never worked as an F1 engineer, gaining his race team experience primarily in junior categories like GP2.

Permane’s longstanding career is marked by both technical excellence and political resilience. After early years alongside Pat Symonds at Benetton and Renault, he climbed the ranks to become Chief Race Engineer. However, their partnership reportedly ended following the 2008 “Crashgate” controversy at the Singapore Grand Prix. Although Symonds and Team Principal Flavio Briatore were expelled from Formula 1 after a year-long investigation, Permane stayed on—widely believed in the paddock to have been the anonymous “Witness X” whose testimony led to the FIA’s disciplinary action.

Permane ultimately remained a key part of the Enstone-based operation through various ownerships and brand changes until mid-2023. He was one of several high-profile departures from Alpine after the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, along with Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Rossi. Within six months, Permane was snapped up by Racing Bulls as Racing Director, working alongside Mekies and CEO Peter Bayer.

Now elevated to Team Principal, Permane will continue to report to Bayer, who handles the commercial and structural operations of the team. Bayer was installed in 2023 as part of a gradual transition to succeed longtime team boss Franz Tost. The team—now rebranded as Racing Bulls is seeking a return to competitiveness after years of midfield mediocrity.

Permane said, “I feel very honoured to take on the role as Team Principal and would like to thank Oliver and Helmut for the trust they have shown in me. I am looking forward to working with Peter to continue the good work that both him and Laurent have done in taking this team forward. This is a new challenge for me, but I know that I can count on the support of everyone within the team.”

The restructuring at Racing Bulls is part of a broader shake-up across Red Bull’s F1 operations following the firing of Christian Horner. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Red Bull’s corporate projects division, has been leading efforts to stabilize the organization and strengthen its future leadership structure across both Red Bull Racing and its sister team.