(Motorsport-Total.com) – According to information from our sister portal Motorsport.com, Red Bull has found a successor for the role of Helmut Marko. Specifically, it is the long-time head of the junior program at Mercedes. Neither of the two racing teams has officially commented on this story so far.
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Who is responsible for youth development at Mercedes?
Gwen Lagrue was previously active in karting and rallying before deciding to use his skills in managing young drivers. After building his reputation as a freelancer, the then Lotus team principal Eric Boullier hired the scout permanently for today’s Alpine team.
During his time in Enstone, Lagrue was able to discover future Formula 1 drivers such as Esteban Ocon and Alexander Albon. Lagrue has a special relationship with the current Williams driver.
The era of Helmut Marko at Red Bull
The BBC emphasizes that Albon was temporarily advised by Lagrue after his dismissal from the Red Bull program in 2016. Thanks to the manager’s advice and the opportunity to finance further career steps, Albon ultimately found his way into Grand Prix racing. Later, he even started for the Red Bulls.
Mercedes talents promoted thanks to Lagrue
His first day with the Silver Arrows in 2016 is also noteworthy. After all, Lagrue was promptly tasked in his new role with preventing the then very young George Russell from moving to the DTM.
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At that time, BMW had offered the current Mercedes driver a factory cockpit in the racing series. Instead of moving to touring car racing, Lagrue advised the young driver to continue pursuing his goals in single-seater racing, under the wings of Mercedes.
Lagrue also recognized the talent of Kimi Antonelli early on and paved the way for the current Mercedes driver towards the Silver Arrows. The organization of the junior program would have to be adjusted after Lagrue’s departure. According to the BBC, ten people are currently working to find the best talents for the Silver Arrows from karting and support them on their career path.
Marko was active for years as an advisor for Red Bull in motorsport. In this position, the former Formula 1 driver was responsible, among other things, for youth development and paved the way for talents like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen to Milton Keynes. The end of this collaboration was announced at the end of 2025.
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