Long-term continuity at Racing Bulls
Alan Permane has signed a contract extension keeping him as Racing Bulls Team Principal and Co-CEO Sporting through the end of 2031. Formula 1 published the news on 6 November 2026, ahead of the São Paulo weekend. This is an announcement about the team’s sporting leadership, rather than confirmation of its driver line-up for the following season. Those two decisions should be followed separately as the team plans beyond the current campaign.
From Racing Director to Team Principal
Permane joined the organisation as Racing Director in January 2024. He became Team Principal in July 2025 after Laurent Mekies moved to Red Bull Racing. The official report recalls Racing Bulls’ podium at Zandvoort in 2025 and sixth place in that year’s constructors’ championship. The new agreement establishes a long-term management direction for a team trying to turn its recent progress into consistently strong performances, rather than merely extending an interim appointment.
The championship position before Brazil
The official standings checked before the first Interlagos session put Racing Bulls fifth on 108 points. Alpine follows on 69, leaving a 39-point gap. These are the post-Mexico totals, rather than the final outcome of the season. Four Grands Prix remain, and fifth would represent the team’s best constructors’ finish. Permane’s new contract does not mathematically settle that contest: the remaining races still determine whether the team can convert its current position into a season result.
What the agreement signals
In the explanation published by F1, Oliver Mintzlaff stresses stability and Permane’s partnership with Peter Bayer, the Co-CEO Commercial. APEX analysis: keeping the same leadership can help connect car development and race operations around a shared direction. That continuity still needs to be assessed through decisions and results, rather than treated as a promise of success. Defending the team’s championship position is the immediate sporting reference point, while the newly announced mandate extends well beyond the conclusion of 2026.
