Former Haas System 1 workforce principal Guenther Steiner has praised Pink Bull’s current appointment of Gwen Lagrue to go up its junior driver programme, suggesting the transfer is an enormous step in sustaining the pipeline established by Helmut Marko.
Following the departure of long-time motorsport adviser Marko on the finish of the 2025 season, the long run course of the Pink Bull junior driver programme had turn into a speaking level inside the paddock. However the Milton Keynes outfit lately confirmed it had lured Lagrue away from Mercedes, with the Frenchman set to imagine the position of director of the Pink Bull junior programme in 2027.
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Lagrue spent over a decade with the Brackley outfit, establishing himself as one in every of F1’s main expertise builders. Throughout his tenure with the Silver Arrows, he performed an instrumental position in figuring out the likes of George Russell and present championship chief Kimi Antonelli.
Throughout an look on The Pink Flags Podcast, Steiner endorsed the choice, commending Pink Bull workforce principal Laurent Mekies for efficiently securing Lagrue.
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
“I used to be fairly stunned that he is leaving Mercedes. They should have made him an excellent supply as a result of he is very near the fellows [there],” Steiner mentioned.
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“I feel he is [great at] recognizing expertise and figuring out what is going on on in all of the collection. Gwen has been doing it longer than anyone else. Due to this fact, he has obtained that benefit, and he is aware of what he is on the lookout for. So completely, that was an excellent rent by Laurent [Mekies] to get Gwen there for the long run.”
A number of F1 drivers have risen by means of the ranks as a part of the Pink Bull junior programme, together with four-time champions Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, present Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, eight-time grand prix winner Daniel Ricciardo, present Alpine driver Pierre Gasly and Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar.
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