In the sign of Marko
Immediately after the official announcement of the separation of Gwen Lagrue from Mercedes, Red Bull also issued a statement in which it confirmed the signing of the former silver arrows talent scout starting from the 2027 season. Lagrue will indeed have to undergo a gardening leave period, as always happens in these transfers from one team to another. The Englishwoman, who for a decade worked at Mercedes ‘raising’ in the Academy both current main drivers of the team, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, will be the new head of the Red Bull Junior Programme, essentially taking on the role that for two decades was held by Helmut Marko.
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Even Laurent Mekies, in the official presentation statement of Lagrue, wanted to say a few words to remember the figure of Marko, who left Red Bull at the end of last season: “Gwen is one of the best talent scouts in F1 and I personally know the competence, leadership and passion she puts into developing young drivers – said Mekies – the Red Bull Junior Programme has always been a pillar of Red Bull’s success and Gwen’s appointment to lead it reflects the importance we continue to place on developing the next generation of talents in F1”.
“We want to once again today recognize the extraordinary contribution that Helmut Marko has given in over twenty years in creating and leading the Junior Programme – added the Red Bull team principal – the Junior Programme has become the benchmark in F1 thanks to his vision, commitment and ability to identify and develop exceptional talents, and for this it deserves enormous recognition. As we continue to build the next chapter of Oracle Red Bull Racing, attracting leaders of Gwen’s caliber is essential to achieving our goals. We are strengthening our organization with exceptional people in every area and Gwen is an important addition to this path. Together, we will build on incredibly solid foundations, while continuing to evolve the program for the future”.
A new adventure
“Joining Oracle Red Bull Racing marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for me – said Lagrue – after eleven memorable years at Mercedes, I felt this was the right time to take on a new challenge and continue to grow personally and professionally. The Red Bull Junior Programme is one of the most respected and successful driver development programs in motorsport. It has produced some of the greatest talents F1 has ever seen and it is a true honor to have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of people and help shape its next chapter. I look forward to working closely with Laurent and the whole team and I am very grateful for this opportunity. Together we have a fantastic structure to build on the program’s remarkable heritage, continue to evolve it into the future and identify, develop and prepare the next generation of F1 race winners and world champions, following a model that Oracle Red Bull Racing has successfully replicated over the last 20 years”.
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