Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has described the arrangement for Liam Lawson to stand in for Isack Hadjar again at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, as more straightforward than it might have been given how far in advance it was planned.
“It’s been easier this weekend. He [Lawson] knew there was a very big possibility of driving here,” Permane told Sky F1.
According to Permane, Hadjar tried to be fit in time.
“Isack did everything he could to come back, but we had simulated sessions planned, so flights were in place, sim sessions in place, and we just had to push the button on them.” The logistics had effectively been locked in before it was clear whether Hadjar would be race-ready, leaving the team little room to change course even once his recovery progressed.
Permane was candid that the situation isn’t one the team is entirely comfortable with, both competitively and from Lawson’s perspective as a driver on loan from Red Bull, stepping in rather than racing in his own seat. “It’s not ideal, it’s certainly not ideal for us. Liam, whilst he’s happy to help, he just says ‘I want to get back in my car’.”
Permane added that Lawson has been told plainly where he stands: “I tell him that the seat is there, ready for him as soon as Isack is fit and healthy.”
Permane praises Liam Lawson car feedback
On the car itself, Permane shared what technical feedback Lawson gave the team during his session. “He’s given us some feedback, and one of the things is that the car has a lot more load,” he explained. “In the high speed, he really feels it. Certainly in Zandvoort, in those very high-speed corners, he said you could really feel the load.”
That characteristic appears to cut both ways depending on corner type. “Ours is a little bit more friendly in the lower-speed mid-to-exit. It might not be as quick, I’m sure it isn’t as quick, but I think it’s a little bit easier to manage,” Permane said, with insight into how Racing Bulls’ current package behaves over different corner speeds from a driver with recent, direct comparison to the Red Bull car itself.
Lawson is filling in until Hadjar is confirmed fit, and Permane’s comments suggest that a return could come as soon as the team is satisfied with his recovery, rather than tied to a fixed date.
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