In what has come across as a major jolt to Red Bull, the McLaren F1 team has announced the signing of Red Bull chief strategist Will Courtenay as its new sporting director. However, according to a statement from the Christian Horner-led team, Courtenay will fulfill his contract by remaining with the team until mid-2026.
The move could be viewed as McLaren's fresh charge against Red Bull after it surpassed its championship rival in the Constructors' Championship at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Upon joining McLaren, Courtenay will report to the team's long-time racing director, Randeep Singh.
Courtenay's career with Red Bull dates back to its Jaguar era, where he initially joined as a systems engineer. Following Red Bull's acquisition of the team, he transitioned into a strategy role in 2005. Over the next few years, he steadily rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming head of race strategy, a position he has held for the past 14 years.
While there is no clarity regarding his joining date, in case McLaren intended to bail him out before 2026, Red Bull acknowledged Courtenay's new association but emphasized that he will continue to perform his role with the team until the end of his contract. A Red Bull spokesperson told the media:
"Will has been offered the position of Sporting Director.
"After a long and successful service, being with the team since the Jaguar days, we are sad to see him go but wish him all the best in this step up.
"Will continues to be part of the team seeing out his contract until mid 2026."
As McLaren continues to prove its racing prowess in the ground effect era, team principal Andrea Stella admitted that Courtenay's signing was crucial for "a key phase in the journey." He added:
"We are delighted to welcome Will to McLaren.
"His experience, professionalism and passion for motorsport make him the ideal candidate to lead our F1 sporting function.
"We are now entering a key phase in our journey as a team, and we are confident that he will be a great addition to our strong leadership team as we strive to continue challenging for wins and championships."
Courtenay's departure comes amid Red Bull's significant restructuring following the exits of two key figures- chief technical officer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.
Newey, Formula 1's most successful car designer, was key to Red Bull's dominance in the current ground effect era, with the RB19 helping the team secure 21 wins out of the 22 Grands Prix last season. However, he is scheduled to take over the role of managing technical partner and shareholder at Aston Martin in March 2025.
Meanwhile, Wheatley is set to take on the role of team principal at Sauber under Audi's leadership, as the German automaker finalizes its takeover of the Hinwil-based team by 2026.
