Will Courtenay leaves Red Bull and joins McLaren
The strategy manager for the Austrian team Will Courtenay has decided to leave Red Bull to join England and McLaren, despite being a rival team this season. A decision that leads to an important new departure within the Austrian team.
The reshuffle continues at Red Bull. Already orphaned of Adrian Newey, who will join Aston Martin in early 2025, and Jonathan Wheatley, who left for Sauber to lead the Audi project as sporting director, the Austrian team has announced another important departure. Will Courtenay, director of race strategy, has decided to join McLaren as the new sporting director. This is the third member of Red Bull’s management to leave in just five months, a blow to the team as Courtenay has played a central role in its success for many years.
The end of a very long collaboration
The British was one of the oldest members of the team, having joined as a systems engineer in 2003, back when the team was still called Jaguar. In 2005, after Red Bull bought Jaguar, he became a strategic engineer. For 14 years, he was in charge of race strategy, a role he excelled in, contributing to Red Bull winning 7 drivers’ titles and 6 constructors’ titles. His departure will take place at the end of his contract, planned for 2026, although negotiations may take place to have him join McLaren earlier. The Woking team is thrilled to welcome a key member of the rival team, a crucial addition for its track ambitions.
“We are delighted to welcome Will to McLaren,” said Andrea Stella, team principal. “His experience, professionalism, and passion for motorsport make him the ideal candidate to lead our sporting direction in F1. We are entering a crucial phase of our journey as a team, and we are confident that he will be an excellent addition to our management team as we strive for victories and championships.”
On its side, Red Bull hopes to be able to keep him until the end of his contract in 2026, despite his future destination, and wished him good luck. Will has been appointed as the new sporting director, said a Red Bull spokesperson. After many years of service since the Jaguar days, we are sad to see him go, but we wish him the best in this new adventure. Will will remain in the team until the end of his contract in mid-2026.
Negotiations will now begin between Red Bull and McLaren to determine whether Will Courtenay will end his contract with the Austrian team or join McLaren earlier. Red Bull must now quickly recover from this new departure, as it remains in contention for the world titles this year.
