McLaren Poaches Red Bull’s Head of Strategy Will Courtenay Amidst Wave of Senior Staff Departures

McLaren recruits Red Bull's strategy leader, as Will Courtenay departs his role at Red Bull.

McLaren has revealed that Will Courtenay, who currently serves as the head of race strategy at Red Bull, will be joining their Formula 1 team as the sporting director.

Courtenay has chosen to depart from Red Bull after serving 14 years as the chief strategist. However, he is expected to fulfill the rest of his contract, which lasts until the middle of 2026, before transitioning to Woking.

In their announcement, McLaren did not specify when Courtenay would start. Once he begins his role, Courtenay will report directly to Randeep Singh, the racing director.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expressed his pleasure in welcoming Will to the team, noting that Will's extensive experience, professionalism, and enthusiasm for motorsport make him the perfect choice to head their Formula 1 sporting division.

"We're stepping into a crucial stage for our team, and we're sure that he will be an excellent addition to our capable leadership group as we aim to keep competing for victories and titles."

Courtenay is the third high-ranking employee to depart from Red Bull within just the last five months.

Adrian Newey, the chief technical officer, will be moving to Aston Martin after arranging an early termination of his contract. His exit was made public in May.

In August, news broke that Jonathan Wheatley, the sporting director, would be departing to take on the role of team principal for the present Sauber team, which is set to rebrand as Audi in 2026, starting next year.

Courtenay will join McLaren and reconnect with chief designer Rob Marshall, who left Red Bull at the close of 2023.

Red Bull has not officially commented on Courtenay's departure. However, a team insider informed BBC Sport that, “After many years of dedicated service, starting from the Jaguar era, we are saddened to see Will leave but extend our best wishes for his future endeavors.”

Will remains a member of the team and will fulfill his contract, which runs through mid-2026.

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