Mercedes Confirms Lagrue Exit as Red Bull Names New Junior Programme Chief

Mercedes has officially confirmed Gwen Lagrue's departure after 11 years leading its young driver academy, with Red Bull immediately announcing the Frenchman as the new director of its famed Junior Programme.

Why it matters:

Lagrue's exit closes a transformative chapter for Mercedes' driver development pipeline, which he rebuilt into one of the strongest talent factories in the sport. His move to Milton Keynes represents one of the most significant off-track personnel shifts of the season, placing him in charge of the academy that produced Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen just months after Helmut Marko's retirement.

The details:

• At Brackley, Lagrue oversaw the rise of George Russell and Esteban Ocon, while famously identifying Kimi Antonelli as a karting prodigy at just 11 years old.
• Mercedes issued an emotional farewell, crediting him with building a "true successor to the original Mercedes-Benz junior team" and leaving behind a capable group to continue the programme.
• Red Bull wasted no time confirming Lagrue will report directly to team principal Laurent Mekies, who hailed him as "one of the very best talent developers in F1."
• Mekies also reaffirmed Helmut Marko's legacy, stating the programme became the benchmark in F1 because of the Austrian's vision and commitment over more than two decades.
• Lagrue called the move the "right moment to take on a new challenge," adding that leading the Red Bull Junior Programme is a "real honour" that will help shape its next chapter.

What's next:

Lagrue now inherits the responsibility of identifying and nurturing Red Bull's next wave of talent to sustain the team's championship pedigree. While his imprint on Mercedes' current F1 lineup remains visible, particularly through Antonelli, the focus now shifts to which young prospects he can guide through Red Bull's renowned system to eventually challenge at the front of the grid.