After 20 years with Red Bull Racing, Will Courtenay joins McLaren as Sporting Director.
Will Courtenay, Red Bull Racing’s current Head of Race Strategy is set to leave the team. He is set to join Red Bull’s main Constructors’ Championship competitor, McLaren.
However, he will not be leaving immediately. Courtenay will see out his contract with the reigning Constructors Champions until mid-2026. After the expiry of his contract, Courtenay will commence the role of Sporting Director with the Woking-based outfit.
Courtenay has worked at the Milton Keynes-based outfit since its first season in 2005. Before that, Courtenay worked with the team’s predecessor, Jaguar Racing. He joined Red Bull as a Strategy Engineer for almost three years before becoming a Senior Analyst for another three. Following that, he took the Head of Race Strategy role in 2010 and remained in that role for over 14 years.
Before joining the world of Formula 1, he graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Master of Engineering in 2002. His first role was a Vehicle Dynamics Engineer and then a Software Programmer for TRW Limited.
Another one gone
Courtenay is not the first high-profile departure from Red Bull. So far in 2024, Jonathan Wheatley and Adrian Newey have also left for other competitors.
Wheatley left his role as Sporting Director at Red Bull to take up the role of Team Principal with Audi, who will take over Sauber in 2026. And, after much speculation, the news finally broke that Newey had signed for Aston Martin as Managing Technical Partner and Shareholder from March 2025. He stepped back from his Chief Technical Officer role with Red Bull.
McLaren’s statement
McLaren released a statement to welcome Courtenay to their team. In their announcement, they stated:
“Reporting into Randeep Singh, Racing Director, the role will help grow the team’s sporting operations as the team continues its pursuit of success in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
“Will joins McLaren after 20 years at Red Bull Racing, where he is currently in the role of Head of Race Strategy, bringing with him a wealth of experience. Will’s expertise will add further depth to the team’s sporting operation and will help drive performance within the racing team.”
McLaren’s Team Principal, Andrea Stella also commented on their new acquisition. He said:
“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.”
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