Alan Permane, born on February 4, 1967, in Walton-on-Thames, has been at the helm of Racing Bulls, the sister team of Red Bull Racing, since mid-2025. His promotion places him in a key position within the Red Bull family, a logical step after a career spanning nearly four decades in Formula 1.
From Benetton to Renault
Permane’s journey in Formula 1 began in 1989 when he, freshly graduated in electronics, applied to Benetton F1. From 1997 to 2006, he worked as a race engineer for the Enstone team, which was then racing under the name Benetton and later became Renault. During this period, he mentored drivers such as Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella, as well as world champions like Nelson Piquet and Michael Schumacher.
In 2007, he was promoted to chief race engineer, and in 2011 he assumed the role of COO. When the team continued as Lotus F1 Team in 2012, later becoming Renault again and finally Alpine, Permane was appointed Sporting Director. This role solidified his position as a stalwart within the organization.
Alpine Tenure and Departure
As Sporting Director at Alpine, Permane commanded significant respect and esteem in the paddock. However, his long tenure came to an abrupt end in July 2023: immediately after the Belgian Grand Prix, he was dismissed along with other top managers.
New Challenge: Racing Bulls
He didn’t stay away for long. At the beginning of 2024, Permane returned to Formula 1, this time with Red Bull’s sister team: Visa Cash App RB, commonly known as Racing Bulls. As Racing Director, he was responsible for all engineering and operations on the track.
The real big step followed on July 9, 2025. After Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies moved to the main team, leaving the team boss role at Racing Bulls vacant. Permane was appointed as his successor.
Upon his appointment, Permane emphasized that his first priority was to “keep things as they are”. According to him, Mekies and CEO Peter Bayer had already laid excellent foundations, resulting in a stable team structure. His goal is to further develop Racing Bulls to “the top of the midfield”.
At the same time, he acknowledges that the role of team boss is fundamentally different from that of Sporting Director: “Of course, the team boss role is much larger. As a sporting director, you lead sixty or seventy people and sit on FIA committees. Now, you bear the ultimate responsibility for everything that happens on and off the track.”
