Red Bull Junior Team
Red Bull's driver development program
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
(Head of Driver Academy)
FIA Formula 2
Nikola TsolovFIA Formula 3
Mattia Colnaghi 
Ernesto Rivera 
Fionn McLaughlin Eurocup-3
Enzo TarnvanichkulFormula 4
Scott Kin Lindblom
Chiara Bättig
Rocco CoronelGinetta Junior
Melvin KalousdianRed Bull Academy Programme
F1 Academy
Alisha Palmowski
Rafaela Ferreira | |
| Founded | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Base | Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Team principal(s) | Guillaume Rocquelin (Head of Driver Academy) |
| Current drivers | Red Bull Junior Team FIA Formula 2 Nikola TsolovFIA Formula 3 Mattia Colnaghi Ernesto Rivera Fionn McLaughlin Eurocup-3 Enzo TarnvanichkulFormula 4 Scott Kin Lindblom Chiara Bättig Rocco CoronelGinetta Junior Melvin KalousdianRed Bull Academy Programme F1 Academy Alisha Palmowski Rafaela Ferreira |
| Website | https://www.redbull.com/int-en/juniorteam |
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 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 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.
The similar Red Bull Driver Search, now ended, was an American spin-off of the same idea held in 2005. In 2024, Red Bull formed a separate programme called the Red Bull Academy Programme to support the team's F1 Academy drivers.
Current drivers
| Driver | Years | Current Series | Titles as Red Bull Junior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enzo Tarnvanichkul[1] |
2023– | Eurocup-3 | None as Red Bull Junior Team member |
| Rocco Coronel[2] |
2024– | Formula Winter Series F4 Spanish Championship |
Ginetta Junior Championship (2025) |
| Scott Kin Lindblom[3] |
2024– | UAE4 Series F4 British Championship |
None as Red Bull Junior Team member |
| Fionn McLaughlin[3] |
2024– | Formula Regional Oceania Trophy FIA Formula 3 Championship |
F4 British Championship (2025) |
| Ernesto Rivera[2] |
2024– | Formula Regional Oceania Trophy FIA Formula 3 Championship |
None as Red Bull Junior Team member |
| Nikola Tsolov[4] |
2025– | FIA Formula 2 Champsionship | None as Red Bull Junior Team member |
| Chiara Bättig[5] |
2025– | Formula Winter Series F4 British Championship |
None as Red Bull Junior Team member |
| Mattia Colnaghi[6][7] |
2025– | FIA Formula 3 Championship | None as Red Bull Junior Team member |
| Melvin Kalousdian[8] |
2026– | Ginetta Junior Championship | None as Red Bull Junior Team member |
Graduates to Red Bull Racing in Formula 1
- Championship titles highlighted in bold.
- † denotes currently active Formula 1 drivers.
Graduates to Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri/Racing Bulls
This list includes drivers who have graduated from the Junior Team to Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri and Racing Bulls but have not raced for Red Bull Racing. Former Red Bull Junior Team drivers who have driven for both Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri/RB and Red Bull Racing appear on the Graduates to Red Bull Racing table.
- Championship titles highlighted in bold.
- † denotes currently active Formula 1 drivers.
Former drivers
_in_practice_at_USGP_2005.jpg)
- Championship titles highlighted in bold.
American spin-off
Red Bull Driver Search was an American spin-off run from 2002 to 2005 in parallel with the Red Bull Junior Team. Its aim was "Searching for the future American F1 Champion".[39] The winner was Scott Speed, who went on to compete in F1 from 2006–2007 for Toro Rosso.
Red Bull Academy Programme
In 2024, Red Bull set up the Red Bull Academy Programme to support the team's F1 Academy drivers.[40][41] F1 Academy was founded by Formula One as a Formula 4–level racing series aimed at developing and preparing young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition.[42]
The Red Bull Ford–supported F1 Academy car.
The Red Bull Racing–supported F1 Academy car.
The Racing Bulls–supported F1 Academy car.
| Driver | Years | F1 Academy titles as Red Bull Academy Programme member |
|---|---|---|
 Amna Al Qubaisi |
2024 | None as Red Bull Academy Programme member |
| Hamda Al Qubaisi[43] |
2024 | None as Red Bull Academy Programme member |
| Emely de Heus[44] |
2024 | None as Red Bull Academy Programme member |
 Chloe Chambers[45] |
2025 | None as Red Bull Academy Programme member |
| Rafaela Ferreira[46] |
2025–2026 | None as Red Bull Academy Programme member |
| Alisha Palmowski[47] |
2025–2026 | None as Red Bull Academy Programme member |
| Sources:[48] | ||
Results
Formula 3000
| International Formula 3000 Championship Results[49] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Car | Drivers | Races | Wins | Poles | Fast laps | Points | D.C. | T.C. |
| 1999 | Lola B99/50-Zytek | Enrique Bernoldi |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18th | ? |
 Markus Friesacher |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |||
| Ricardo Mauricio |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22nd | |||
| 2000 | Lola B99/50-Zytek | Ricardo Mauricio |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 17th | 9th |
| Enrique Bernoldi |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16th | |||
| 2001 | Lola B99/50-Zytek | Patrick Friesacher |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13th | 5th |
 Antonio García |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |||
| Ricardo Mauricio |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8th | |||
| 2002 | Lola B02/50-Zytek | Patrick Friesacher |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10th | 5th |
| Ricardo Mauricio |
12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11th | |||
| 2003 | Lola B02/50-Zytek |  Vitantonio Liuzzi |
10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 4th | 2nd |
| Patrick Friesacher |
8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 5th | |||
| Bernhard Auinger |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |||
- D.C. = Drivers' Championship position, T.C. = Teams' Championship position.
See also
Notes
- Driver was simultaneously a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project.
- Albon was promoted to Red Bull Racing mid-season following the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, replacing Gasly who was demoted back to Toro Rosso
- Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull Racing mid-season following the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, replacing Kvyat who was demoted back to Toro Rosso
- Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull Racing mid-season following the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, replacing Lawson who was demoted back to Racing Bulls