Mercedes scout Gwen Lagrue reportedly set for Red Bull driver development role

Gwen Lagrue is reported to be leaving Mercedes for Red Bull, where he would take charge of the team’s driver development programme. The move has not been publicly confirmed by the parties involved, and BBC Sport reports that his release from Mercedes is still being negotiated.

Lagrue has spent a decade at Mercedes and has been associated with one of Formula 1’s most productive young-driver structures. His work has been linked to the development paths of George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Esteban Ocon and Frederik Vesti, while he also helped Alex Albon during a difficult stage of Albon’s junior career.

The potential switch is significant because Red Bull are reshaping their talent pipeline after Helmut Marko stepped away from his long-held motorsport adviser role. Bringing in a scout with Lagrue’s Mercedes background would underline how important junior recruitment has become in modern F1, where karting and lower-category monitoring can shape a team’s future line-up years in advance.

Mercedes are expected to cover the gap internally, with BBC Sport noting that Bradley Lord has already been involved in the young-driver setup. Until there is confirmation from Mercedes, Red Bull or Lagrue, however, this should be treated as a developing staff move rather than a completed appointment.