The collaboration between Red Bull and Gwen Lagrue is finalized! Max Verstappen’s team confirmed on Monday the arrival of the 50-year-old Frenchman, who will take on the role of director of the Red Bull Junior Program, following in the footsteps of Helmut Marko. Lagrue has guided Mercedes’ talents in recent years but will make the move to Milton Keynes in 2027. With this appointment, Red Bull aims to further strengthen the development of young F1 talents.
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Lagrue is regarded as one of the most experienced mentors of young racing talent. At Red Bull, he will be responsible from next year for scouting, guiding, and further developing future F1 drivers. According to Laurent Mekies, Lagrue’s arrival fits perfectly within the team’s ambitions. “Gwen (Lagrue, ed.) is one of the very best talent developers in Formula 1, and I know from personal experience the expertise, leadership, and passion he has for developing young drivers,” he responded in an official press release.
Successor to Helmut Marko
“The Red Bull talent program has always been a cornerstone of Red Bull’s success,” he continued. “That Gwen will soon take over leadership underlines the value we still place on developing the next generation.” He also expressed his appreciation for Helmut Marko, who stepped down from the Austrian racing team last year. “We want to once again recognize today the extraordinary contribution Helmut Marko has made over the past two decades in setting up and leading the program. Thanks to his vision, dedication, and ability to identify and develop exceptional talents, the Red Bull training school has become the benchmark in Formula 1. He deserves enormous praise for that.”
Red Bull’s talent program is considered one of the most successful in motorsport. Several drivers on the current grid have received support from the Red Bull Junior Team, including Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, and Arvid Lindblad.
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Farewell to Mercedes
Lagrue himself looks forward to his new role. “The move to Red Bull marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for me,” he added. “After eleven memorable years at Mercedes, I felt this was the right moment to take on a new challenge and grow personally and professionally.” Red Bull already has several promising drivers in its ranks. For example, junior driver Nikola Tsolov is convincingly leading in Formula 2. At Mercedes, the Frenchman also played a key role within the talent program; he was co-responsible for the development of Kimi Antonelli, who currently leads the F1 championship representing the Silberpfeile.
Mercedes meanwhile posted a farewell message on their official channels. “Thank you, Gwen,” wrote the German racing team. “We had a great time together. Together we have trained many young drivers, including our current line-up, consisting of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. You have made a fantastic contribution to that. You leave behind a talented group to continue this work. Professional relationships may end, but we will always remain friends, sharing a common mentality. We wish you much success with your next challenge.”
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