Permane walks away as Kravitz confronts him over Lawson: 'They can't sack him now'

Kravitz was broadcasting from the team garages after the session when he came across Permane, who was filming while wrapping up a review of the qualifying session with the Racing Bulls media team. Permane smiled, shook his head and left without answering. The timing made the moment awkward. Lawson had just produced one of the best qualifying sessions of his season in the wet at Interlagos, and he starts Sunday's race from third on the grid.

Kravitz did not stop when Permane walked off. He pointed to Lawson's recent form, recalling a question he had put to the New Zealander earlier in the weekend: "I even asked Liam Lawson on Thursday, 'you've scored 24 points in the last four races'." He then added: "Liam Lawson's qualified third on the grid, in a Racing Bulls." Strictly speaking, Lawson qualified fifth and moved up to third because of grid penalties for George Russell and Charles Leclerc.

The person Kravitz chose to put the question to is what gives the exchange its weight as Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer named Permane as the man who will make the call after last week's Mexico City Grand Prix. Earlier this week, Red Bull also tied Permane to the team for the long term. GPblog reported the extension and his views on his drivers.

The confrontation came a day after Kravitz and commentator David Croft discussed on Sky whether the decision has already been taken. Croft said: "I think that if a decision has been made, it was made before Friday practice in Mexico." That was the session in which Lawson collided with Max Verstappen and both drivers received a one-place grid penalty.

Kravitz read Lawson's own comments differently. Responding to the driver's remarks about his future, he said: "Well by what Liam Lawson's saying there, they are and they have. That's the hints that he's doing there." Martin Brundle also weighed in on Sky this week. He said that it would be "pathetic" and "childish" if the Verstappen clash in Mexico were to cost Lawson his seat.

The Sky team's tone has shifted over the past month. After the Singapore Grand Prix in October, Kravitz said on Ted's Notebook that anyone who thought Lawson would lose his place to Nikola Tsolov "must be bonkers". By the Mexico weekend, Croft had picked up on a change in Lawson's demeanour. He then said it was "looking more and more likely" that the Kiwi would lose his seat.

Permane's response to Kravitz gives nothing away and Lawson has already said that the uncertainty is taking its toll, and Permane's own update this week did not settle the question either. For now, Lawson's best chance to make his case is from the second row at Interlagos.