Who is McLaren’s new sporting director Will Courtenay? Everything you need to know

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McLaren have announced the signing of Red Bull chief Will Courtenay to become the team’s sporting director, so F1 Oversteer has looked at everything you need to know.

The move continues an exodus of high-ranking figures from Milton Keynes as Red Bull suffer brain drain after their recent triumphs. Courtenay has followed chief technical officer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and Rob Marshall in leaving over the past year.

Courtenay switching to McLaren also sees him reunite with Marshall, who left Red Bull after 17 years to become the Woking outfit’s technical director in May 2023. Marshall started his role with McLaren in January 2024 and Courtenay will soon follow after 19 years at Red Bull.

Will Courtenay is to leave Red Bull after 19 years to join McLaren in 2026

Marshall must wait until 2026 to be reunited with Courtenay at McLaren as Red Bull intend to hold their head of race strategy to his full contract. The Milton Keynes team have zero plans to let Courtenay go early like they did for Newey, who will join Aston Martin in March 2025.

Courtenay’s contract for Red Bull runs until mid-2026 but McLaren have announced that he will become their new sporting director. Once he joins, Courtenay will report directly to the team’s racing director Randy Singh, as McLaren continue a senior management restructure.

READ MORE: Everything to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

McLaren could yet move to agree settlement terms with Red Bull for Courtenay to switch F1 teams sooner. But his appointment follows McLaren’s restructuring which started with team principal Andrea Stella taking over in December 2022 and saw Singh promoted this January.

Red Bull have also lost Courtenay to McLaren whilst fighting their rivals from Woking for the 2024 Formula 1 constructors’ and drivers’ championships. At the time of the announcement of his move, McLaren lead Red Bull with 516 points to 475 with six rounds of the season left.

So, with that in mind, F1 Oversteer has taken a look at everything you need to know about Courtenay after McLaren lured Red Bull’s head of race strategy to be their sporting director.

Who is McLaren’s soon-to-be sporting director Will Courtenay?

Will Courtenay is a British engineer and has worked in the Formula 1 paddock since October 2003. He found a job in F1 soon after graduating the University of Cambridge in 2002 with a first-class Masters degree in engineering. He had four years at the University of Cambridge.

Jaguar offered Courtenay his first position in Formula 1 as a systems engineer, having initially worked as a vehicle dynamics engineer and later as a software programmer for TRW Limited after completing his Masters degree. Red Bull bought the Jaguar F1 team in November 2004.

Courtenay survived the transition as Jaguar became Red Bull and took the role of strategy engineer in February 2005. Promotions have also followed during his years in Milton Keynes, becoming a senior analyst in September 2007 and then head of race strategy in June 2010.

What is Will Courtenay’s role as Red Bull’s head of race strategy?

In his role as Red Bull’s head of race strategy, Courtenay has often alternated with principal strategy engineer Hannah Schmitz on the team’s pitwall. He is also a key voice in the ear of team principal Christian Horner recommending when Red Bull should make their pit stops.

Safety car windows are a key part of Courtenay’s role as Red Bull’s head of race strategy, as well. The Briton will make recommendations to Horner on if Red Bull should box under the safety car or virtual safety car for final approval, often after speaking to the race engineers.

Through his initial role in F1 with Jaguar, Courtenay even has experience of working on the electronics in a Formula 1 car from trackside and ensuring the sensors are correctly set up. Red Bull then needing a new strategist after taking over Jaguar saw Courtenay change role.

What’s been said about Will Courtenay? Is he any good?

McLaren team principal Stella was quick to praise Courtenay after his Woking team signed the Briton from Red Bull in September 2024. Stella believed that Courtenay was the ‘ideal’ candidate to become the Woking natives’ sporting director and lead their further growth.

Stella 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.”

What have Red Bull won with Will Courtenay as their head of race strategy?

Nearly every success that Red Bull have registered in Formula 1 to date has come since they appointed Courtenay to be the team’s head of race strategy in June 2010. Prior to that, their only success in the pinnacle of motorsport were nine of their 120 Grand Prix victories so far.

Since Courtenay became Red Bull’s head of race strategy, the team from Milton Keynes have also taken 91 of their 103 pole positions, 89 of their 98 fastest laps, 253 of their 279 podium results and 25 of their 31 one-two finishes prior to McLaren signing him in September 2024.

Additionally, Courtenay’s jaunt as Red Bull’s head of race strategy has helped to produce six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles. Sebastian Vettel won four crowns in a row from 2010 to 2013 and Max Verstappen lifted the drivers’ title in 2021, 2022 and 2023.