Red Bull have confirmed the appointment of Mercedes driver development chief Gwen Lagrue as the new director of their renowned junior driver programme, with the Frenchman set to join the team in 2027.
Lagrue's move, first reported by BBC Sport earlier this month, follows an agreement between Mercedes and Red Bull that released him from his existing contract. He effectively succeeds Helmut Marko, who retired from his long-standing role as Red Bull's motorsport adviser at the end of last year.
The 50-year-old leaves Mercedes after 11 years, during which he established one of Formula 1's most successful young driver programmes. He played a pivotal role in identifying and developing several of the sport's leading talents, including George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon and Frederik Vesti.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies welcomed the appointment, describing Lagrue as one of Formula 1's leading talent developers.
"Gwen is one of the very best talent developers in Formula 1, and I know first-hand the expertise, leadership and passion he brings to developing young drivers," Mekies said.
"The Red Bull Junior Programme has always been a cornerstone of Red Bull's success, and having Gwen lead it reflects the importance we continue to place on developing the next generation of Formula 1 talent."
Mekies also paid tribute to Marko for his "extraordinary contribution" over more than two decades, praising his vision and ability to identify and nurture exceptional talent.
Lagrue said the opportunity to lead Red Bull's academy represented the ideal next step in his career.
"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," he said.
"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 Formula 1 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."
He added that the programme already had a strong foundation and pledged to build on its legacy by identifying, developing and preparing the next generation of Formula 1 race winners and world champions.
The Red Bull junior programme has produced several of the sport's biggest stars, most notably four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo. Current Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz also emerged from the academy, although Albon was released in 2016 before receiving personal support from Lagrue and later returning to Red Bull's fold ahead of his Formula 1 debut in 2019.
Mercedes, meanwhile, will absorb Lagrue's responsibilities through a restructuring of its existing driver development programme. Bradley Lord, recently promoted from communications director to deputy team principal, will take on a greater role alongside the current scouting team, which monitors young talent from karting through the junior single-seater categories.
One of Lagrue's earliest and most successful signings was George Russell, who joined Mercedes' junior programme after famously presenting team principal Toto Wolff with a PowerPoint presentation outlining why he deserved a place in the academy. Russell progressed through the junior ranks, made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2019 and was promoted to the Mercedes works team in 2022.
Lagrue also oversaw the development of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whom Mercedes signed as an 11-year-old karter. Following an accelerated development programme, Antonelli succeeded Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 season and has quickly established himself as one of Formula 1's brightest stars.
His tenure at Mercedes also included overseeing the careers of Esteban Ocon, who has competed for Manor, Force India, Renault/Alpine and Haas, as well as current reserve driver Frederik Vesti.
Lagrue's arrival marks the beginning of a new era for Red Bull's driver academy as the Milton Keynes-based team looks to maintain its reputation for producing Formula 1's next generation of champions.
