Will Courtenay Officially Joins McLaren as Sporting Director Following Red Bull Exit

Former Red Bull Head of Race Strategy Will Courtenay has officially completed his long-anticipated move to Formula 1 rival McLaren, where he will take on the role of Sporting Director.

Courtenay’s switch was first announced in September 2024, but McLaren was unable to secure his early release from Red Bull. As a result, the Milton Keynes team retained him on the pit wall throughout the 2025 season, despite efforts from McLaren to accelerate the transition.

Having spent more than two decades with Red Bull and its predecessors, including Jaguar Racing, Courtenay has now been cleared to begin his new chapter. He confirmed the move in a post on LinkedIn.

“After 22 years at Red Bull Racing, the last 15 as Head of Race Strategy, I’m excited to say I’m embarking on a new challenge with the McLaren Racing Formula 1 Team as Sporting Director,” Courtenay wrote.

“I want to thank everyone I worked with at Red Bull. I made so many great friends and hope to see many of you around the paddock. It’s been an incredible two-plus decades. Now, I’m looking forward to settling into my new role and doing everything I can to help McLaren build on its recent success.”

At McLaren, Courtenay will report to Racing Director Randeep Singh as the Woking-based team prepares to enter Formula 1’s new regulations era. The move comes at a historic moment for McLaren, which will begin the upcoming season as reigning Drivers’ and Constructors’ Champions for the first time since 1999.

Red Bull is expected to promote Principal Strategy Engineer Hannah Schmitz to fill the role vacated by Courtenay.

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Written by

James Rees

A passionate motorsport journalist from Wales, with over 30 years of love for the sport. A dedicated father of three, working as a content manager, covering the fast-paced world of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and IndyCar.

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