In motorsport, victories are achieved only with an outstanding team. And with the best drivers. But how do you find and develop them? How can you lead them to the top? Gwen Lagrue, Driver Development Advisor at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula ONE Team, gives us a clue.
Talent is something that rises to the surface early on. Many who make it to the top of their discipline seem to be born with it. But without encouragement and diligence, talent remains nothing but promise. A rough diamond that lacks the polish to become a jewel. You could say that Gwen Lagrue is the jeweler in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula ONE Team: The Frenchman is in charge of the junior programme for aspiring professional drivers.
He scouts talented drivers, recruits them, takes them under his wings, and "polishes" them until they shine in the top class of motorsport. Alex Albon was one of his protégés, and Esteban Ocon and George Russell made the leap from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula ONE Team’s junior programme to Formula One under his guidance.