Mercedes-AMG Method One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has opened up about Gwen Lagrue, the expertise scout who, alongside Toto Wolff, recognized him within the junior sequence, in the end paving the way in which for his transfer to Mercedes and his emergence as a championship chief this 12 months.
Wolff introduced within 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 sufficient weight on his shoulders, however in 2025, Antonelli proved he was the most effective among the many rookie drivers on the grid, ending seventh within the Drivers’ Standings.
Commercial
Within the present season, Antonelli has continued to show himself, and he leads the 2026 Drivers’ Standings with 219 factors, 50 factors forward of runner-up driver Lewis Hamilton and 59 factors forward of his teammate, George Russell. The outcomes have given Mercedes larger confidence that it had made the precise determination by signing a rookie driver when different skilled drivers have been accessible.
Now, nonetheless, Lagrue, who helped Wolff determine Antonelli, will go away Mercedes after 11 years and be a part of Pink Bull in 2027 as director of its junior programme. He joined Mercedes in 2015 and have become head of its junior programme in 2016. His job was primarily to determine promising younger drivers, carry them into the programme and assist information their careers towards F1.
Picture Credit score: Mercedes-AMG
Commercial
Lagrue is understood for his involvement within the improvement of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, each of whom finally reached Mercedes’ F1 workforce. Antonelli highlighted the important thing function Lagrue performed in his improvement and early success in premier-class racing. Talking forward of the Dutch Grand Prix, he mentioned:
“Yeah, Gwen has performed an enormous function in my profession. He was the one, together with Toto, they scouted me on the very starting. So additionally Gwen has achieved an amazing job for me, going by the ladder of single-seater, attempting to at all times put me in the most effective place, in the most effective workforce. So he has achieved an amazing job, and I’ll at all times be grateful in direction of him for what he did.”
Pink Bull lately introduced that Lagrue had been appointed director of the Pink Bull Junior Programme. He’ll report on to Pink Bull CEO and Staff Principal Laurent Mekies and can be a part of the workforce’s management construction. His function will contain figuring out, creating and progressing the subsequent era of Pink Bull F1 drivers. Antonelli famous that regardless of Lagrue shifting to a different workforce, their relationship will stay unaffected. He added:
“After all now he will have a giant problem, a giant new problem, and naturally I want him all the most effective. However after all there’ll nonetheless be the connection between me and him, as a result of clearly we have been working for a really very long time. And for certain we’ll nonetheless be seeing one another on the observe. However on one aspect, clearly I am unhappy that he is leaving, due to how essential he is been for me. However on the identical time I want him all the most effective, and I am additionally joyful that he is attempting to embrace new challenges. So yeah, simply actually want him the most effective.”
