Red Bull reshapes its junior programme as ‘Rocky’ Rocquelin takes full control. With Helmut Marko gone, Red Bull’s junior programme will be fully overseen by Guillaume ‘Rocky’ Rocquelin.

Vettel’s former race engineer takes charge of the young driver academy

After Christian Horner, Red Bull has also parted ways with Helmut Marko. The leadership axis that delivered every world title in the history of the Milton Keynes-based team initially appeared unbreakable, but it eventually turned into an internal conflict in which Horner and Marko attempted to push each other out. Within the space of a few months, this power struggle led first to Horner’s dismissal and, more recently, to the departure of the Austrian manager who had overseen the junior programme that brought a remarkable number of drivers into Formula 1.

Without both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, it will undoubtedly be easier for Red Bull to operate under the budget cap, as two extremely high-profile and costly senior figures are no longer part of the organisation. As far as the management of the junior programme is concerned, however, there will be no real structural changes compared to the setup already in place over recent seasons. The key difference is that Marko will no longer be the dominant figure influencing and directing the careers of Red Bull-backed drivers.

According to reports from gpblog, Guillaume ‘Rocky’ Rocquelin, the former race engineer of Sebastian Vettel during his championship-winning years, will be the sole point of reference and the full supervisor of Red Bull’s junior programme. Rocquelin will have complete responsibility for guiding and evaluating young talents as they progress through the single-seater ladder under the Red Bull banner.

Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the Red Bull junior line-up will feature Nikola Tsolov competing in Formula 2. Tsolov is considered a promising prospect and is also closely linked to Fernando Alonso’s management structure. In Formula 3, the programme will include Italian driver Mattia Colnaghi, alongside Irish talent Fionn McLaughlin and Mexican driver Ernesto Rivera, highlighting Red Bull’s continued commitment to scouting and developing young drivers from a wide range of backgrounds.

The changes at the top signal a new phase for Red Bull’s driver development strategy, one focused on structured growth and long-term success in the highly competitive world of Formula 1.