McLaren hire Red Bull’s Will Courtenay

McLaren announced today that Red Bull’s head of race strategy, Will Courtenay as the new Sporting Director of the team. It is presumed he will start in 2026 but no official word on the start date.

Adrian Newey, Jonathan Wheatley and now Will Courtenay are all leaving the Red Bull team and it makes you wonder about the level of root rot this team is currently enduring. It’s difficult to know if the mass exodus is due to the allegations against team boss Christian Horner by a former employee are to blame. If that is the case, you might wonder how long executives are willing to stick with Horner at the helm if his actions are losing some of the team’s brightest minds. Again, that’s all speculation to be sure.

If not that, then perhaps the passing of Red Bull’s CEO, Dietrich Mateschitz has created a political vacuum at the team with Red Bull corporate at odds with Red Bull Racing. If this is the case and the future is uncertain, it reminds me of the political boardroom war over the ownership of McLaren several years ago that Ron Dennis endured. That created a tremendous amount of distraction for the team.

Regardless of the reason(s), Red Bull is in rare form after losing many of the key players that have brought them much of their success over the years.

McLaren Statement:

McLaren Racing today announces that Will Courtenay will join the McLaren Formula 1 team as Sporting Director.

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.

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1, 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.”