Will Courtenay has officially joined McLaren as their new sporting director after leaving Red Bull earlier than expected. The former Red Bull head of strategy started his role on 2 January 2026, as Formula 1 teams returned to work after the winter break.
Courtenay had agreed to move to McLaren back in September 2024, but Red Bull initially planned to keep him until his contract ran into 2026. That changed after Christian Horner was sacked as Red Bull boss in July, which led to fresh talks and an early release being agreed.
In a message on LinkedIn, Courtenay thanked Red Bull for more than 20 years at the team and said he was excited to begin the next chapter of his career at McLaren. In his new role, he will report to McLaren racing director Randy Singh.
Red Bull are expected to promote long-time strategist Hannah Schmitz to lead their strategy team. The new Formula 1 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix in March, following pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain.
