The stat that shows the success of Red Bull's junior programme
Eight of the 20 drivers of the 2025 F1 grid have been former Red Bull juniors, which shows how successful the Austrian company's young driver programme has been over the years.
The Red Bull Junior Team was also the name of RSM Marko, a team that competed in International Formula 3000 between 1999 and 2003, sponsored by Red Bull and run by Helmut Marko.
The programme was then founded in 2001
The Red Bull Junior Team is a driver development programme operated by Austrian conglomerate company Red Bull GmbH to identify and develop talent in open-wheel racing. Members of the Junior Team are financed and sponsored by Red Bull in kart racing and junior formulae.
The programs have been successful in bringing a selection of drivers into Formula One. Five graduates—Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz Jr.—have won a Formula One Grand Prix, whilst Vettel and Verstappen have won the World Drivers' Championship a combined eight times. Red Bull owns two teams in Formula One, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.
The Red Bull Junior Team was formed in 2001 as Red Bull's European driver programme. Red Bull offers funding and support for the promising young drivers that are part of the programme. In 2004, Christian Klien became the first Red Bull Junior to race in Formula One, while in 2008, Sebastian Vettel became the first Red Bull Junior to win a Formula One Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix. Two years later, in 2010, Vettel became the first Red Bull Junior graduate to win the Formula One World Championship.
Forty percent of the 2025 F1 grid, or eight out of 20 drivers, are former Red Bull juniors, showcasing the incredible impact of the Red Bull Junior Program:
・Max Verstappen
・Carlos Sainz
・Pierre Gasly
・Alex Albon
・Yuki Tsunoda
・Liam Lawson
・Jack Doohan
・Isack Hadjar
The late Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of the Red Bull Junior Program, truly lived by the philosophy: “Leave money at the bottom, leave business in the middle, leave people at the top.”
