Red Bull Racing has confirmed the appointment of Gwen Lagrue as director of its junior driver programme, with the 50-year-old Frenchman set to begin the role in 2027. The announcement came on Monday, July 27, the day after the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend concluded. Lagrue joins from Mercedes. He spent eleven years there overseeing driver development.
He fills the position left vacant by Helmut Marko, who stepped down as Red Bull’s motorsport adviser at the close of the 2025 season after more than two decades building and running the programme. Lagrue will report directly to team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies.
Lagrue’s Record at Mercedes
During his eleven-year tenure at Mercedes, Lagrue played a central role in developing several drivers who reached Formula 1. He worked with George Russell throughout his junior career and was closely involved in identifying and guiding Andrea Kimi Antonelli through the pathway that led to Antonelli’s debut season with the Mercedes works team. BBC Sport, which first reported the move earlier this month, noted his role in discovering Antonelli as a key part of his reputation.
That reputation is formidable. Mercedes issued a warm public farewell, thanking Lagrue for his contribution and noting that both its current F1 drivers — Russell and Antonelli — came through a programme he helped shape.
Mekies and Lagrue Speak on the Move
Mekies described Lagrue as among the finest talent developers in the sport, saying he had personal knowledge of the expertise, leadership, and passion Lagrue brings to nurturing young drivers. He called the junior programme a cornerstone of Red Bull’s success and said Lagrue’s appointment reflects the team’s continued commitment to producing the next generation of F1 talent.
Mekies also paid tribute to Marko, crediting the Austrian with the vision and ability to identify exceptional talent that made Red Bull’s development pipeline the standard in the sport.
Lagrue described the move as a new and exciting chapter. After eleven memorable years at Mercedes, he said, the timing felt right for a fresh challenge. He called the Red Bull Junior Programme one of the most respected in motorsport and expressed his intention to build on its legacy while preparing future race winners and world champions.
The Programme Lagrue Inherits
Marko’s programme produced an extraordinary list of graduates. The results speak for themselves. Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen are its most decorated alumni, with Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon also reaching Formula 1 through it. According to champ1.news, Arvid Lindblad and Isack Hadjar are among the current prospects progressing through the system Lagrue will now oversee.
Red Bull confirmed the appointment via an official statement on Monday. No interim arrangement for the 2026 season was mentioned.
