Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad given one simple rule as Racing Bulls battle intensifies

Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad are free to race wheel-to-wheel with just one rule set out by their Racing Bulls team boss Alan Permane – “do not touch each other”.

Racing Bulls is in the fight for a career-high fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, with the team sitting on 66 points.

Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad told not to clash in Racing Bulls battle

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The team holds a slim five-point advantage over Alpine, the two teams locked in their own battle to finish best of the rest behind the big four.

However, at Racing Bulls there’s also an internal tussle taking place between Lawson and Lindblad.

The teammates are not only vying to be next in line for a Red Bull seat should one become available, but they’re also fighting for their F1 futures as Formula 2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov is chasing a promotion to Formula 1.

Lawson and Lindblad have had a few sparks on track this season, starting at the Chinese Grand Prix where Lawson found himself under attack from Lindblad in the sister Racing Bulls car. “Karma” with the timing of a Safety Car worked in Lawson’s favour.

There were further spats in Austria, where Lawson bemoaned that was the “last f***ing time I’m listening” after he was told Lindblad would not attack him only for the Briton to do just that; at Silverstone, the Belgian Grand Prix, and again in Hungary.

Intriguingly, in four of the five Grands Prix that both teammates have finished in the points, they have taken the chequered flag one after the other.

Those all played out in Lawson’s favour with the New Zealander up into ninth place in the Drivers’ standings on 43 points, 20 ahead of 11th-placed Lindblad.

Permane, however, isn’t worried about a flashpoint between his Racing Bulls drivers, insisting he trusts Lawson and Lindblad to follow his one rule.

“I have to put my trust in them,” team principal Alan Permane said as per Racer.

“We talk about it of course, before the race, and I say to them, ‘Listen, you can race. Do not touch each other’.

“That’s my one thing – do not touch each other.

“It’s a nice problem to have… Honestly, when they go on track, they’re driver A and driver B to me. I tell them that.

“I don’t care which order they come in. Constructors’ [championship] is everything for us.”

Liam Lawson v Arvid Lindblad: Racing Bulls F1 2026 scores

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Racing Bulls is chasing a best-ever result in the Constructors’ Championship as the team has never finished higher than sixth place.

“It’s been amazing,” Permane said. “Of course, it’s an effort from every single person that works in this fantastic team. Everyone in Faenza, everyone in Milton Keynes.

“What’s made the difference is everything we’ve put on the car is working. We’re bringing decent sized upgrades and we hit the track and they work. Drivers are delivering. Just everywhere, everything’s firing well.”

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