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Red Bull Adds Kimi Raikkonen’s Son to Junior Programme

The team framed the announcement as a long-term, step-by-step development plan and named Gwen Lagrue to run the restructured junior operation.

Overview

  • Red Bull confirmed that 11-year-old Robin Raikkonen will join its junior driver programme from 2027 as an official member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
  • Team principal Laurent Mekies said Robin has shown exceptional karting ability and that Red Bull will develop him gradually to avoid placing unnecessary pressure on the young driver.
  • Gwen Lagrue will lead the junior operation when Robin joins, marking a leadership change in the programme that effectively follows Helmut Marko’s recent stepping back.
  • Robin has recorded wins at national and international karting events and has raced in age‑appropriate series such as the Rotax Max Challenge and the WSK Super Master Series.
  • Kimi Raikkonen welcomed the signing and Red Bull stressed this is a long-range commitment because motorsport rules and the normal progression from karting to single-seaters mean Robin will need several years of development before advancing toward F1.