Gwen Lagrue Leaves Mercedes to Lead Red Bull Junior Programme
Lagrue’s Mercedes departure confirmed
Mercedes has confirmed that Gwen Lagrue will leave the team and join Red Bull as director of its junior programme, bringing an end to an 11-year spell with the Silver Arrows.
The announcement, made on Mercedes’ social media channels on Monday afternoon, followed reports during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that Lagrue was set to move into a role similar to the one he held at Mercedes. Red Bull later confirmed the appointment, with Lagrue reporting to team principal and CEO Laurent Mekies.
Mercedes credited Lagrue with helping develop several young drivers, including its current Formula 1 racers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. “Together, we’ve developed many young drivers,” the team said in its farewell message, adding that Lagrue had made a “fantastic contribution” to the organisation’s junior structure.
The team also said Lagrue leaves behind “a talented group” to continue the work, while stressing that the professional relationship would not change the friendship between the parties.
Red Bull turns to proven talent developer
Lagrue’s arrival gives Red Bull a new director for a programme that the team described as a cornerstone of its success. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of long-time driver advisor Helmut Marko at the end of last year.
Mekies praised Lagrue as “one of the very best talent developers in F1”, highlighting his expertise, leadership and passion for working with young drivers. He also paid tribute to Marko, whose vision and commitment had helped make the Red Bull Junior Programme “the benchmark in F1”.
The move adds another layer of interest to Red Bull’s ongoing focus on its young-driver pipeline, an area also reflected in the team’s current discussions around Isack Hadjar’s future.
A new chapter for Lagrue
Lagrue said the move marked an exciting new stage after 11 memorable years at Mercedes. He described Red Bull’s junior operation as one of the most respected and successful development programmes in motorsport and said it was an honour to lead its group of young talents.
During his Mercedes tenure, Lagrue helped bring Esteban Ocon and Russell into Formula 1. Antonelli was the latest prospect to benefit from his support after being identified in karting at the age of 11 and fast-tracked through the single-seater ranks. His progression culminated in an F1 debut at 18 and title-winning form in his sophomore season.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.