McLaren Makes Key Red Bull Signing In Latest Blow To Its Championship Rival

Saajan Jogia | 2 Hours Ago

Andrea Stella, Oscar Piastri, Zak Brown, and Lando Norris / McLaren Press Image

The McLaren Formula 1 team has announced the signing of Red Bull's chief strategist, Will Courtenay, as its new sporting director. He will report to Randeep Singh, McLaren's long-time racing director. This move strikes a significant blow to Red Bull, which is currently grappling with difficulties in retaining key staff members, while McLaren recently seized the lead in the Constructors' Championship.

Courtenay joined Red Bull during its Jaguar days in 2003 as a systems engineer before taking on a strategy role in 2005 when it was rebranded to Red Bull. Eventually, he rose to the ranks of the team's head of race strategy and has been in the role for the last 14 years. Despite the official announcement, it remains unclear when he will take on the new role at McLaren, considering that he is contracted to Red Bull until mid-2026.

A spokesperson from Red Bull acknowledged the signing and revealed that Courtenay will fulfill the duration of his contract. He told the media:

"Will has been offered the position of Sporting Director.

"After a long and successful service, being with the team since the Jaguar days, we are sad to see him go but wish him all the best in this step up.

"Will continues to be part of the team seeing out his contract until mid 2026."

Commenting on the new signing, McLaren team principal Andrea 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."

Courtenay's departure comes as Red Bull undergoes a major restructuring after the exit of two prominent staff members, chief technical officer Adrian Newey, and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.

Newey, known as Formula 1's most successful designer, helped Red Bull dominate the current ground effect era. The Christian Horner-led team won 21 out of 22 Grands Prix last year, courtesy of Max Verstappen and a Newey-designed title contender, the RB19 F1 car.

Aston Martin recently announced Newey's signing in a press conference, appointing him as the team's managing technical partner and shareholder. The 65-year-old is slated to join the Silverstone outfit in March 2025.

Speaking of Wheatley, he set to join the Sauber F1 team as the team principal under the leadership of Audi, which will conclude its takeover of the Hinwil outfit in 2026.