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.
Formula 1 2026 mid-season review: The biggest winners, losers and surprises so far
The 2026 Formula 1 season has reached its halfway point, and the first campaign under the sport's new regulations has already delivered plenty of storylines.
Mercedes have emerged as the class of the field after getting the new rules right from the start, while 19-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli has established himself as the championship favourite in just his second season in Formula 1.
Ferrari have also taken a significant step forward, Red Bull have struggled to keep pace with their rivals and Aston Martin have endured a disappointing first half of the year despite high expectations.
With 11 races complete and 12 still to come, here's a look at the biggest talking points from the 2026 season so far.
F1 2026 takeaways: Kimi Antonelli's dominance, Lewis Hamilton’s resurgence and more from the first seven races
Seven races have been run since the 2026 Formula 1 season got underway in Melbourne in March, the most recent being the Spanish Grand Prix.
In these seven races, we’ve witnessed the pinnacle of motorsport adjusting to brand new regulations, with many fans outraged with the ‘anti-racing’ rules.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jack George takes a look at the key takeaways from this all-new Formula 1 2026 season.
Johnny Herbert: Max Verstappen to McLaren ‘makes sense’ as Red Bull face losing their biggest asset
Three-time Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert believes Red Bull are heading towards a difficult period, warning that the potential loss of Max Verstappen could leave the team in a “real predicament.”
F1 news: Gianpiero Lambiase’s Red Bull departure and what it means for Max Verstappen’s future
Max Verstappen’s longtime race engineer, Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase, has announced he will leave Red Bull for McLaren. The move adds to a long list of key exits from the Milton Keynes team over the last two years.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and F1 fan Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at Lambiase’s time with Red Bull and what his departure could mean for Verstappen’s future.
F1 news: Martin Brundle on Max Verstappen quit rumours – “I’d hugely miss his talent”
Martin Brundle discussed Max Verstappen’s future on the latest edition of The F1 Show podcast, where speculation about the Dutchman potentially quitting Formula One was a hot topic.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Luca Salmasi takes a closer look at Brundle’s thoughts on a possible Verstappen exit.
F1 news: Red Bull champion Max Verstappen considers F1 exit
Amid Red Bull’s troubles, four-time world champion Max Verstappen has expressed that he has considered leaving F1.
WATCH! Pole Position podcast - Mercedes vs Ferrari, Australian GP and Chinese GP madness, and more
The latest episode of the Pole Position Podcast, powered by Sports News Blitz, reflects on the thrilling start to the 2026 Formula 1 season, following the conclusion of the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.
Takeaways from the 2026 Chinese GP - Kimi Antonelli’s maiden Grand Prix win, Lewis Hamilton’s first podium in red and a double McLaren DNS
Kimi Antonelli claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory after winning the Chinese Grand Prix as Mercedes showed blistering pace yet again.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Mosaddek Abu discusses the takeaways from the second race of the 2026 F1 season.
F1 News: Five talking points ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix
The 2026 Formula One season heads to Shanghai this weekend for the next chapter of what is already shaping up to be a fascinating title fight.
After a dramatic opening race in Melbourne, where George Russell led a dominant Mercedes one two, several storylines are beginning to emerge as teams prepare for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Ex-Red Bull strategist reveals how Formula 1 races are really won
Neil Martin is one of Formula 1’s most respected race strategists and a highly sought-after F1 speaker, with more than three decades at the forefront of performance modelling and competitive decision-making.
In this exclusive interview with the High Performance Speakers Agency, Neil Martin reflects on strategy under pressure, the realities behind race-day decision-making and what business leaders can learn from operating in one of the most intense performance environments in the world.
F1 news: Max Verstappen tops opening morning of first 2026 Bahrain pre-season test
Max Verstappen set the pace on the opening morning of Formula 1’s first 2026 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit on Wednesday, February 11.
The Red Bull driver finished first on the timesheets during the four-hour morning session, giving his team an early benchmark as all 11 teams shared the track for the first time this week.
F1 news: Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner linked with potential Alpine investment
Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is being linked with a possible return to Formula 1 as an investor in the Alpine team, after a turbulent end to his long run at Red Bull.
F1 news: Red Bull and Racing Bulls to reveal their 2026 cars
Ford is hosting an event to showcase the F1 cars of sister teams Red Bull and Racing Bulls for the upcoming 2026 season, starting later this year in March.
For F1 fans, the event will be live streamed globally on YouTube by the official Red Bull account at 3am on Friday, January 16.
This launch will mark a significant moment for both teams as they showcase their new liveries and preparations for a season shaped by exciting regulation changes.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Lucy Armour outlines five reasons to look forward to the Red Bull and Racing Bulls liveries.
F1 news: Winners and losers from the 2025 Formula 1 season as Lando Norris is crowned champion
Lando Norris came out on top at the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season, winning both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with McLaren to end the four-year reign of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Eloise Stevens breaks down the winners and losers from a campaign that saw the crowning of a new world champion.
Abu Dhabi GP: Debriefing the 2025 F1 season - Lando Norris a worthy champion, Max Verstappen’s statement victory, a look towards 2026, and more
On Sunday, December 7, the 2025 F1 season came to an end with McLaren’s Lando Norris delivering a professional P3 finish to secure his first-ever World Drivers’ Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Beating Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri to the title, the Brit brought the curtain down on what has been another thrilling year of action. And with just under 90 days until the circus gets going again in Melbourne, there is a lot to unpack in the build-up to a new era of F1.
Sports News Blitz’s F1 writer, Henry Eccles, analyses the major talking points to come out of the season finale at Abu Dhabi.
F1 news: Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko to leave Red Bull ahead of 2026 Formula 1 season
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has announced his exit from the Austrian outfit after 20 years, having overseen six constructor titles and eight driver crowns.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Ayla Vaughan reviews the reasons why Marko may have chosen to leave and predicts who will fill the vacated role.
Qatar GP: McLaren’s strategy howler hands Max Verstappen crucial victory, Carlos Sainz podium makes Williams’ dreams a reality, Red Bull announce 2026 driver lineup, and more
The triple-header season finale continued at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, November 30, with McLaren’s Lando Norris looking to secure the Drivers’ title in his thrilling fight with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
But after a disastrous strategy error from McLaren, the three-way battle for the championship goes down to the wire at Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen’s win, Sainz’s surprise podium, and Red Bull’s 2026 driver lineup the other important highlights of this season’s penultimate weekend.
Sports News Blitz’s F1 writer, Henry Eccles, takes a look at the five key talking points to come out of the Qatar GP.
F1: Winners and losers from the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix
Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix, capitalising on a poor McLaren strategy that denied Lando Norris the chance to seal the 2025 Drivers’ Championship.
Sports News Blitz writer Eloise Stevens breaks down the winners and losers of the race at the Losail circuit as the Drivers’ Championship goes all the way to the last race of the season.
Qatar GP preview: McLaren’s double disqualification in Las Vegas, Max Verstappen’s title hopes, shock leadership changes at Aston Martin, and more burning questions
F1 returns to the fast and flowing Lusail Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, November 30, with all eyes firmly on the three-way championship battle between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
After a dramatic weekend both on and off track at Las Vegas, with McLaren’s double disqualification, Verstappen’s crucial victory, and a bombshell leadership change at Aston Martin, there is much to discuss as we continue the triple-header season finale.
Sports News Blitz’s F1 writer, Henry Eccles, dives into five burning questions in the build-up to the Qatar Grand Prix.