‘Red Bull replaces Helmut Marko with Mercedes talent advisor’

Red Bull may have recruited a replacement for Helmut Marko. The Austrian top advisor led the team’s talent program for years but retired from Formula 1 last year at the age of 82. Reportedly, Red Bull has now found a successor in Gwen Lagrue, who has held a similar role at rival Mercedes in recent years.

BBC reports that Lagrue, who was active at Mercedes as Driver Development Advisor, is making the move to Red Bull to lead the training school there. That role, which was held for many years by Helmut Marko, carries great responsibility. 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.

Top Advisor

Lagrue’s task is to further develop the next generation of talents. 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.

According to the latest reports, the collaboration between Lagrue and Red Bull has already been finalized, although it is unclear when he will actually start working in Milton Keynes. He may first have to serve a period of gardening leave. The arrival of Lagrue would be an important boost for Max Verstappen’s team, which has frequently made headlines in recent years due to the departure of key figures. In the past two years, not only Marko but also Jonathan Wheatley, Adrian Newey, and Will Courtenay have left.