Guillaume ‘Rocky’ Rocquelin: Red Bull’s New Leader After Helmut Marko

A closer look at Guillaume Rocquelin — better known as “Rocky” — the man stepping into Helmut Marko’s shoes to lead Red Bull’s talent factory.

Red Bull shocked the Formula 1 world when they announced the departure of Helmut Marko after an incredible 20-year partnership that discovered some of the sport’s biggest stars.

Marko first raised eyebrows with cryptic comments after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, hinting he might not return to Milton Keynes next year.

He later told GPblog it wasn’t a firing but his own choice to step back from his demanding role.

So who’s taking over this crucial talent-spotting position?

Red Bull confirmed to GPblog that Guillaume “Rocky” Rocquelin is now the main person in charge of their Junior Team – the program responsible for finding and developing future F1 stars.

Who is Guillaume ‘Rocky’ Rocquelin?

The Frenchman isn’t exactly a household name for casual F1 fans, but he’s been central to Red Bull’s success for years.

Born in Dijon in 1974, Rocquelin studied engineering at the Grenoble Institute of Technology before heading to America to build his motorsport career.

He cut his teeth working as a trackside engineer in CART and IndyCar – valuable experience in high-pressure racing environments.

His big break came in 2006 when Red Bull hired him as race engineer for veteran driver David Coulthard.

When Coulthard retired two years later, Rocky stayed on and was paired with a young Sebastian Vettel.

What followed was magic.

The Rocquelin-Vettel partnership became one of F1’s most successful duos ever, capturing four consecutive world championships from 2010-2013.

Their radio communications – with Rocky’s calm guidance and Vettel’s passionate responses – became part of F1 folklore.

After six seasons with Vettel, Rocquelin moved up the ladder to become Head of Race Engineering in 2015. He held this position until 2022, overseeing the team’s overall race operations.

The 2022 Australian Grand Prix marked Rocky’s last regular weekend trackside – though he still occasionally appeared for some practice sessions.

He handed over his responsibilities to Gianpiero Lambiase, who’s now known for his no-nonsense radio exchanges with Max Verstappen.

In April 2022, Rocquelin shifted focus to become Head of Red Bull’s Driver Academy – making him the perfect candidate to take over Marko’s talent development role.

Now he faces the challenge of identifying the next generation of F1 superstars, just as Marko discovered talents like Verstappen, Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, and many others.

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