McLaren Secures Red Bull’s Strategy Maestro Will Courtenay in Latest F1 Talent Shuffle

McLaren secures a key figure from Red Bull, with strategy leader Will Courtenay set to make the switch.

McLaren has made it public that Will Courtenay, who is currently the chief of race strategy at Red Bull, will be coming on board as the sporting director for the Formula 1 team.

Courtenay is set to depart from Red Bull following a 14-year tenure as the chief strategist. However, he plans to fulfill his current contract, which extends to the middle of 2026, prior to transitioning to a role in Woking.

In their announcement, McLaren did not specify when Courtenay would begin. Upon joining McLaren, Courtenay will be under the direct supervision of racing director Randeep Singh.

"Andrea Stella, the team principal at McLaren, expressed his pleasure in having Will join the team. He highlighted that Will's extensive background, dedication, and enthusiasm for racing perfectly position him to spearhead our F1 sporting operations."

"As we embark on a crucial stage of our collective journey, we firmly believe that his inclusion will significantly bolster our leadership group, propelling us toward further victories and title pursuits."

Courtenay marks the third high-ranking employee to depart from Red Bull within a mere five-month period.

Adrian Newey, the chief technical officer, is set to join Aston Martin following successful talks for an early exit from his current contract, a move that was made public in May.

In August, it was revealed that Jonathan Wheatley, the sporting director, would depart his role to assume the position of team principal at the existing Sauber team, set to transition into Audi by 2026, starting next year.

Courtenay is set to join forces again at McLaren with head designer Rob Marshall, who left Red Bull at the close of 2023.

Red Bull has not officially confirmed Courtenay's departure, however, an insider within the team informed BBC Sport, stating, "Having been part of the team since the Jaguar era, it's tough to bid farewell to Will after his extensive and fruitful tenure. Nonetheless, we hope for his greatest success in his new endeavor.

"Will remains a member of the team, fulfilling his contract obligations until the middle of 2026."

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