Red Bull officially appoints Marko's successor from Mercedes

Lagrue has established himself as one of Formula 1's most highly regarded talent scouts since taking charge of Mercedes' Junior Driver Programme in 2016. During his time with the team, he played a central role in identifying and developing young prospects, helping guide drivers such as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli all the way to full-time Formula 1 race seats with Mercedes.

The news had already been gathering momentum over the past few days, but it has now been officially confirmed. Red Bull has landed one of the biggest names in Formula 1's driver development scene, making a statement as it begins a new era for its Junior Programme following Helmut Marko's departure a few months ago.

Mekies described Lagrue as one of Formula 1's leading talent developers, praising his expertise, leadership and passion for nurturing young drivers. He said the appointment underlined Red Bull's continued commitment to investing in the next generation of talent, with the Junior Programme remaining a fundamental part of the team's long-term success.

Mekies also paid tribute to Helmut Marko's contribution over more than two decades, crediting him with building the Junior Programme into the benchmark across Formula 1 through his vision, dedication and exceptional ability to identify and develop future stars.

Lagrue described his move to Red Bull as the start of an exciting new chapter after 11 years at Mercedes, saying he felt the time was right to embrace a fresh challenge and continue developing both personally and professionally.

He praised the Red Bull Junior Programme as one of the most successful and respected driver academies in motorsport, calling it a privilege to lead the team behind it and help shape its future. Lagrue also expressed his excitement about working closely with Laurent Mekies and the rest of the organisation.

Looking ahead, he said the programme already has a strong foundation to build upon, with the goal of further evolving it while continuing to identify, develop and prepare the next generation of Formula 1 race winners and world champions, following a model that has delivered success for Red Bull over the past two decades.