Red Bull appoint former Mercedes talent chief Gwen Lagrue to lead Junior Programme from 2027

Oracle Red Bull Racing have confirmed the appointment of former Mercedes talent chief Gwen Lagrue as the new head of the Red Bull Junior Programme from 2027.

Lagrue will take over leadership of one of Formula 1's most successful young driver academies, succeeding Helmut Marko, who has overseen the programme for more than two decades.

During his time at Mercedes, Lagrue played a key role in identifying and developing young talent, including current Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Mekies welcomes appointment

Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies welcomed the appointment, praising Lagrue's track record in driver development.

"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 paid tribute to Marko's long-standing contribution to the academy.

"We want to recognise another time today 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 and he deserves enormous credit for that."

Lagrue on new challenge

Lagrue said he was excited to begin a new chapter after spending 11 years with Mercedes.

"Joining Oracle Red Bull Racing marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for me.

"After 11 memorable years at Mercedes, I felt this was the right moment to take on a new challenge and continue growing personally and professionally."

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Ambitions for Red Bull’s future talent pipeline

Largue also spoke about the reputation of Red Bull's academy and his ambitions for its future.

"The Red Bull Junior Programme is one of the most respected and successful driver development programmes in motorsport.

"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."

Lagrue added that he was looking forward to working with Mekies and the wider Red Bull team as they continue developing the next generation of Formula 1 race winners and world champions.

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