Red Bull chief joins McLaren in seismic F1 move

Will courtenay, Red Bull Contentpool — Photo: © IMAGO

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Red Bull chief joins McLaren in seismic F1 move

Will Courtenay has officially joined McLaren.

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 5 January 2026 20:48

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Red Bull's former strategy chief Will Courtenay has revealed that he has already completed a move to rival F1 team McLaren ahead of the 2026 championship.

Courtenay had worked with Red Bull since the very start of their F1 journey in 2005, having joined the team as a systems engineer back in 2003 when they competed as Jaguar.

He was made head of race strategy in 2010 and has held that position at the team ever since.

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It was initially announced that Courtenay would be departing the Milton Keynes-based outfit back in September 2024, when a future move to McLaren was also confirmed.

But the British engineer has already taken up the role of sporting director at the Woking-based squad in the run up to the 2026 campaign, having seemingly struck an early release deal with Red Bull.

Red Bull strategy chief completes early McLaren switch

Though Courtenay's gardening leave was not expected to finish until the middle of this year, he has now confirmed his move to the rival F1 squad via a post on LinkedIn.

Courtenay wrote: "I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Sporting Director at McLaren Racing!

"After 22 years at Red Bull Racing, the last 15 as Head of Race Strategy there, I’m excited to say I’m now embarking on a new challenge, joining the McLaren Racing Formula1 Team as Sporting Director.

"I’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone I worked with at Red Bull. I made so many great friends there and I hope I’ll still see many of you in the paddock. It was an incredible two and a bit decades.

"But now I’m looking forward to settling into my new role and team, and hopefully making plenty more new friends, as I do my very best to help McLaren continue its recent success in the coming years."

When his exit from the energy drink giants was originally announced, Helmut Marko — Red Bull's motorsport executive at the time— cited financial differences as the reason for Courtenay's departure.

The Austrian hinted at a bidding war, won by McLaren, saying: “What we offered Will Courtenay did not interest him. And he had an offer for this position, something that is also more financially attractive.”

Despite Red Bull being without Courtenay's experience for months now, an official replacement has not been named, though Marko suggested back in 2024 that key strategist Hannah Schmitz would be an ideal candidate.

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