Kimi Antonelli Pays Tribute to Red Bull-Bound Scout Who Discovered Him

Mercedes-AMG Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has opened up about Gwen Lagrue, the talent scout who, alongside Toto Wolff, identified him in the junior series, ultimately paving the way for his move to Mercedes and his emergence as a championship leader this year.

Wolff announced in the second half of the 2024 season that Antonelli would take Lewis Hamilton’s seat after the seven-time world champion moved to Ferrari in 2025. That was enough weight on his shoulders, but in 2025, Antonelli proved he was the best among the rookie drivers on the grid, finishing 7th in the Drivers’ Standings.

In the current season, Antonelli has continued to prove himself, and he leads the 2026 Drivers’ Standings with 219 points, 50 points ahead of runner-up driver Lewis Hamilton and 59 points ahead of his teammate, George Russell. The results have given Mercedes greater confidence that it had made the right decision by signing a rookie driver when other experienced drivers were available.

Now, however, Lagrue, who helped Wolff identify Antonelli, will leave Mercedes after 11 years and join Red Bull in 2027 as director of its junior programme. He joined Mercedes in 2015 and became head of its junior programme in 2016. His job was essentially to identify promising young drivers, bring them into the programme and help guide their careers toward F1.

Lagrue is known for his involvement in the development of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, both of whom eventually reached Mercedes’ F1 team. Antonelli highlighted the key role Lagrue played in his development and early success in premier-class racing. Speaking ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, he said:

“Yeah, Gwen has played a massive role in my career. He was the one, along with Toto, they scouted me at the very beginning. So also Gwen has done a tremendous job for me, going through the ladder of single-seater, trying to always put me in the best position, in the best team. So he has done a tremendous job, and I will always be grateful towards him for what he did.”

Red Bull recently announced that Lagrue had been appointed director of the Red Bull Junior Programme. He will report directly to Red Bull CEO and Team Principal Laurent Mekies and will join the team’s leadership structure. His role will involve identifying, developing and progressing the next generation of Red Bull F1 drivers. Antonelli noted that despite Lagrue moving to another team, their relationship will remain unaffected. He added:

“Of course now he’s going to have a big challenge, a big new challenge, and of course I wish him all the best. But of course there will still be the relationship between me and him, because obviously we’ve been working for a very long time. And for sure we’ll still be seeing each other at the track. But on one side, obviously I’m sad that he’s leaving, because of how important he’s been for me. But at the same time I wish him all the best, and I’m also happy that he’s trying to embrace new challenges. So yeah, just really wish him the best.”