Mercedes confirms departure of junior programme chief Gwen Lagrue ahead of expected Red Bull move

Mercedes has officially confirmed that long-serving junior driver programme chief Gwen Lagrue will leave the team, with the Frenchman widely expected to take up a similar position at Red Bull Racing.

Lagrue's departure follows reports that emerged during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend suggesting he was set to join Red Bull. While neither Mercedes nor Red Bull commented publicly at the time, the Brackley-based squad confirmed the news on Monday with a heartfelt farewell message on social media.

"Thank you Gwen. It's been a great ride together," Mercedes wrote. "Together, we've developed many young drivers, including our current Formula 1 drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, 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."

Lagrue has overseen Mercedes' junior programme for many years and played a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing some of the sport's brightest talents. Under his leadership, drivers such as Esteban Ocon and George Russell progressed through the Mercedes academy before reaching Formula 1.

Perhaps his most remarkable success story has been Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Lagrue first spotted the Italian while he was competing in karting at just 11 years old and quickly recognised his exceptional potential.

Antonelli was subsequently fast-tracked through the junior categories before making his Formula 1 debut at the age of 18. Now in his second season, he has established himself as one of the championship's leading contenders.

"With Kimi, I noticed quite quickly he was already a bit different than other kids in karting," he said. "But back then my thought was: 'Okay, he's the best one I can have in go-karts,' not even thinking about Formula 1.

"Then when we did the first test in single-seaters, the way he adapted himself so quickly to pretty much every situation, you started seeing that you have someone very special."

Lagrue is expected to continue his career at Red Bull, where he is set to take charge of the team's young driver programme following the retirement of long-time driver advisor Helmut Marko at the end of the 2025 season.