Official, Mercedes says goodbye to the discoverer of Antonelli (and Russell)

10 years together

After many rumors in recent weeks, the separation between Gwen Lagrue and the Mercedes team has now become official. This is an important farewell for the Brackley team because Lagrue was the soul of the Mercedes Academy. It was he, over many years, who nurtured what is now the Anglo-German team’s main F1 line-up: both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are indeed products of the silver-black youth academy.

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Two drivers that Mercedes built in-house, with care and patience, thanks to Lagrue’s work. He joined Mercedes in January 2016 after managing Lotus’s young driver program from 2009 to 2015. His next adventure, once his gardening leave period is over, will be with Red Bull, who will essentially entrust him with the role of Helmut Marko’s ‘heir’ in managing young talents.

The Mercedes Statement

“Thank you, Gwen. It’s been a great adventure together – reads the farewell post dedicated to Lagrue by the Mercedes team on social networks – together we have developed many young drivers, including our current F1 drivers George and Kimi, and you have made an extraordinary contribution. We have created a true successor to the original Mercedes-Benz junior team, and you leave behind a talented group ready to carry on this work. Professional relationships may come to an end, but we will always remain friends, united by a common vision. We wish you all the best for your next challenge“.

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