There were simultaneous announcements from Mercedes and RBR tonight (Monday) confirming Lagrue’s defection to Red Bull.
After 11 years at the German marque, where he oversaw the development of current F1 drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, Lagrue will take up the top job in Red Bull’s junior system as of the start of next year.
Dr Marko famously headed up the Red Bull Junior Program before departing late last year.
Lagrue’s new role is considered a key part of the leadership structure at RBR with the new recruit to report directly to CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies.
“Gwen is one of the very best talent developers in F1 and I know first-hand the expertise, leadership and passion he brings to developing young drivers,” said Mekies.
“The Red Bull Junior Program has always been a cornerstone of Red Bull’s success, and having Gwen lead it soon reflects the importance we continue to place on developing the next generation of F1 talent.
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“We want to recognise another time today the extraordinary contribution Helmut Marko has made over more than two decades creating and leading the Junior Program.
“The Junior Program has become the benchmark in F1 because of his vision, commitment and ability to identify and develop exceptional talents and he deserves enormous credit for that.
“As we continue to build the next chapter of Oracle Red Bull Racing, attracting leaders of Gwen’s calibre is fundamental to achieving our ambitions.
“We’re strengthening our high-performance organisation with outstanding people in every part of the business, and Gwen is an important addition of that journey.
“Together, we will build on an incredibly strong foundation while continuing to evolve the program for the future.”
Lagrue added: “Joining Oracle Red Bull Racing marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for me.
“After 11 memorable years at Mercedes, I felt this was the right moment to take on a new challenge and continue growing personally and professionally.
“The Red Bull Junior Program is one of the most respected and successful driver development programmes in motorsport.
“It has produced some of the greatest talents F1 has ever seen, and it is a real honour to have the opportunity to lead such a talented group of people and help shape its next chapter.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with Laurent as well as the entire team and I am very thankful for this opportunity.
“Together, we have a fantastic framework to build on the program’s remarkable legacy, continue to evolve it for the future, and identify, develop and prepare the next generation of F1 race winners and world champions, following a pattern Oracle Red Bull Racing has successfully repeated over the past 20 years.”
Mercedes paid tribute to its outgoing staff member by likening his work to the original silver arrows junior team that helped put Michael Schumacher on the F1 radar.
“Thank you Gwen. It’s been a great ride together,” read a post from the team.
“Together, we’ve developed many young drivers, including our current F1 drivers George and Kimi, and you’ve made a fantastic contribution.
“We have built a true successor to the original Mercedes-Benz junior team, and you leave in place a talented group to carry on this work.
“Professional relationships may come to an end, but we will always remain friends, with a shared mindset.
“We wish you well for your next challenge.”
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