Guenther Steiner, the former director of the Haas team in Formula 1, has expressed his support for the recent hiring of Gwen Lagrue to lead Red Bull’s junior driver program. This decision is seen as an important step in maintaining the talent pipeline created by Helmut Marko.
After Marko’s departure at the end of the 2025 season, the future direction of Red Bull’s junior driver program generated debate in the Formula 1 world. Recently, the Milton Keynes outfit confirmed the hiring of Lagrue, who was coming from Mercedes, to take on this responsibility starting in 2027.
Notable experience
Lagrue has accumulated over ten years of experience with the Brackley team, where he proved to be one of the main talent developers in Formula 1. He played a key role in identifying drivers such as George Russell and current championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Speaking on the podcast The Red Flags, Steiner expressed his surprise at Lagrue’s exit from Mercedes, stating that ‘they must have made him a very attractive offer, as he was very close to the teammates there.’ He added that Lagrue is exceptional in talent detection, making his hiring great news for Red Bull’s future.
Notable drivers from the junior program
Red Bull’s junior driver program has been the starting point for several successful drivers in Formula 1, including four-time champions Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. Other notable names include Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, and Pierre Gasly.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
