Red Bull in talks to hire Mercedes junior chief Gwen Lagrue
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 20, 2026
Red Bull hire
Red Bull is set to hire Mercedes junior driver programme chief Gwen Lagrue for a similar role leading its driver development program, a move that would bring a long-time Formula 1 academy operator into a team that wants to tighten its talent pipeline. The switch has not been finalized. Mercedes and Red Bull are still negotiating Lagrue’s release from his contract, and it is not yet clear when he would officially start. Neither team has confirmed the move.
If the deal goes through, Lagrue would step into a position with real weight inside Red Bull’s structure. He would work alongside Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies and take on a job similar to the one Helmut Marko held while overseeing the programme for 25 years. That change matters because Marko’s role sat at the center of Red Bull’s junior system for a generation. Red Bull is trying to strengthen that pathway now, and Lagrue has emerged as the target for the next stage. His background gives the team a clear reason to look hard at the hire. He has spent years shaping young-driver programs and has done it inside two different Formula 1 environments. That kind of experience is exactly what Red Bull is trying to add as it adjusts the structure around its academy.
Mercedes track record
Lagrue’s Mercedes record is the main reason his name has moved to the front of the discussion. He has worked at the team for a decade and has led its junior driver programme for years. In that time, he became a central figure in the development of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes signed Antonelli at age 11 and promoted him to Formula 1, a step that reflected the importance of the work done inside the junior system around him.
His influence at Mercedes also extended beyond those two names. He helped support Esteban Ocon, Frederik Vesti and Alex Albon during their time in the programme. That gives his résumé both depth and range. He has worked with drivers at different stages of their careers and across different levels of the ladder. Some were still far from Formula 1 when they entered the system. Others were already pushing toward a seat at the top level. Lagrue stayed involved through that process and helped guide the program through a period when Mercedes kept producing drivers who remained relevant to the wider Formula 1 market. Russell and Antonelli stand out because both moved through the same pipeline under his watch, and both became prominent examples of what Mercedes wanted its academy to produce. That track record puts Lagrue among the most experienced development chiefs on the grid.
Lotus background
Before Mercedes, Lagrue built a similar reputation at Lotus. Eric Boullier recruited him in 2011 to run the team’s junior program, and that earlier job gave him another chance to shape a driver ladder from the ground up. At Lotus, he helped bring through Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon, two names that later surfaced again in his Mercedes work. The overlap shows a consistent pattern. Lagrue has not only found young drivers, he has also stayed with them across different stages of development and different programs.
That continuity explains why Red Bull is interested now. The team is trying to strengthen its junior driver program, and Lagrue fits the profile of a leader who can work across scouting, development and promotion. He has done the job at more than one top-level organization and has helped guide drivers who reached Formula 1 or moved close to it. His next role would be a close match for the one Marko is leaving behind, with the added challenge of helping Red Bull refresh the way it handles its young talent. If the move is completed, Red Bull would gain a development chief with a direct record of turning academy programs into sources of real Formula 1 talent.
