McLaren continues its campaign of strengthening, with a view to making the Woking team increasingly effective in every department. After nearly twenty years at Red Bull, where he became the head of strategy for the Milton Keynes team, Will Courtenay will move to McLaren, where he will act as sporting director.
The technician will report to Race Director Randeep Singh, one of McLaren’s longest-serving engineers, with the aim of strengthening the on-track race operations. It will also provide another experienced person with liaison with the FIA, managing the regulations and what happens within the team during race weekends, as a sort of bridge.
“We are delighted to welcome Will to McLaren,” said team principal Andrea Stella.
“His experience, professionalism and passion for motorsport make him the ideal candidate to lead our sporting operations in F1. We are entering a key phase of our journey and we are confident he will be a great addition to our team as we continue to challenge for races and championships,” added the Team Principal of the Woking-based team, who thus continues its campaign of strengthening, which a year ago also saw it snatch Rob Marshall from Red Bull.
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team, McLaren team celebrates on the pit wall at the end of the race
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
It is not yet clear when Courtenay will leave Red Bull for McLaren, but the Milton Keynes team has explained that the Briton is still tied to the team by a contract that runs until mid-2026. A Red Bull spokesperson explained that Courtenay will continue to work for the Anglo-Austrian team until then, while McLaren will clearly try to bring forward his arrival, even if he will face a period of gardening.
“Will has been offered the position of Sporting Director,” said a Red Bull spokesperson, who stressed that Courtenay, who has been with the team since it was still racing under the Jaguar brand, has chosen to follow a different path after nearly two decades together.
“After a long and successful relationship, having been with the team since his time at Jaguar, we are sad to see him go but wish him all the best in his transition. Will will continue to be part of the team, completing his contract until mid-2026.”
Courtenay joins the list of technicians who have left Red Bull in recent months: in addition to the aforementioned Rob Marshall, who has moved to McLaren, Adrian Newey has also decided to take another path, joining Aston Martin from March 2025. In the meantime, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will take on the role of Team Principal at Sauber, pending the arrival of Audi, starting next season.
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