Red Bull's Staff Exodus Continues as Courtenay Joins McLaren

Will Courtenay (pictured), Red Bull’s long-serving Head of Race Strategy, has officially made the switch to rivals McLaren, taking up the role of Sporting Director ahead of the 2026 season. He is the latest in a long list of Red Bull personnel to be poached by McLaren.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The move, first announced in September 2024, was originally set for mid-2026 as Courtenay served out his contract with the Milton Keynes team. However, an early release—reportedly agreed between the teams—has allowed him to join McLaren sooner than expected.

Courtenay has been with Red Bull since its inception in 2005, having formerly worked with the team’s predecessor, Jaguar Racing. He spent the last 15 of his 22 years there leading race strategy.

He confirmed the transition on LinkedIn, writing:

“After 22 years at Red Bull Racing, the last 15 as Head of Race Strategy, I’m excited to embark on a new challenge by joining the McLaren Formula 1 Team as Sporting Director.

“A huge thank you to everyone I’ve worked with at Red Bull—I’ve made lifelong friends and hope to see many of you in the paddock again. It’s been an incredible two decades.

“Now, I’m looking forward to settling into my new role, building new relationships, and doing my best to help McLaren build on its recent success in the years ahead.”

At McLaren, Courtenay will report directly to Racing Director Randeep Singh. His arrival strengthens the Woking-based team’s leadership as it prepares for the major regulation changes in 2026, entering the new era as the reigning Drivers’ and Constructors’ Champions—the first time since 1998 that McLaren has defended both titles.

Red Bull is expected to promote Principal Strategy Engineer Hannah Schmitz to fill Courtenay’s former position.