Red Bull has confirmed the signing of former Mercedes Formula 1 driver scout Gwen Lagrue, who will join the Milton Keynes-based team in 2027 as director of its junior programme.
Lagrue, who spent eleven years at Mercedes, will succeed Helmut Marko — the architect of Red Bull's driver development system who left the organisation at the end of 2025. The announcement came less than an hour after Mercedes confirmed Lagrue's departure from the Silver Arrows, underlining the aggressive nature of the poaching.
"Joining Oracle Red Bull Racing marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for me," Lagrue said. "After eleven memorable years at Mercedes, I felt this was the right moment to take on a new challenge and continue growing personally and professionally."
Lagrue is widely regarded as one of the most effective talent spotters in Formula 1. During his tenure at Mercedes he helped discover Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who made his Grand Prix debut with the team last season aged 18 and now leads the F1 drivers' championship. At Red Bull he will oversee the entire junior programme, identifying and developing the next wave of talent for the organisation that has produced multiple world champions through its academy system.
"The Red Bull Junior Programme is one of the most respected and successful driver development programmes in motorsport," Lagrue added. "It has produced some of the greatest talents F1 has ever seen, and it is a real honour to have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of people and help shape its next chapter."
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies praised the appointment: "Gwen is one of the very best talent developers in F1 and I know first-hand the expertise, leadership and passion he brings to developing young drivers. The Red Bull Junior Programme has always been a cornerstone of Red Bull's success, and having Gwen lead it soon reflects the importance we continue to place on developing the next generation of F1 talent."
Mekies also acknowledged Marko's legacy: "We want to recognise once again the extraordinary contribution Helmut Marko has made over more than two decades creating and leading the Junior Programme. The Junior Programme has become the benchmark in F1 because of his vision, commitment and ability to identify and develop exceptional talents."
The move signals Red Bull's intent to maintain its driver development pipeline at the highest level as the sport enters a new regulatory era. With Lagrue at the helm of the junior programme from 2027, the team is betting on continuity of excellence in talent identification to sustain its competitive edge.
Sources
- [Crash.net — Red Bull poaches Mercedes F1 driver scout as Helmut Marko's successor](https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1101957/1/red-bull-poaches-mercedes-f1-driver-scout-helmut-markos-successor)
