With Will Courtenay’s departure officially announced, Helmut Marko has identified his potential successor within Red Bull for the role of Head of Race Strategy.
Will Courtenay leaves, replacement ready
After a stellar start to the championship, following in the footsteps of last season, 2024 has suddenly turned into a nightmare for Red Bull, both on and off the track.
While the RB20 has encountered a somewhat inexplicable technical crisis, the uproar following the Horner scandal last February has also triggered a series of senior-level departures.
Following the exits of Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, Will Courtenay, who has held the role of chief strategist at Milton Keynes for the past 15 years, has also decided to leave, moving to McLaren in the new role of sporting director, where he will reunite with former colleague Rob Marshall.
So, who will take the Briton’s place on the Red Bull pit wall? According to Helmut Marko, Hannah Schmitz, who has been Principal Strategy Engineer since May 2021, is expected to receive a natural promotion.
“It’s a natural development when you’re so successful that people get noticed,” the Austrian consultant stated in a recent interview for the Motorsport-Total website – “We have someone with us who can take on this role, and that’s Hannah Schmitz. What we offered Will Courtenay wasn’t in his interests, and he had an offer for this position, which is also more appealing financially.” – he pointed out.
Despite announcing his departure, Will Courtenay will take up his role as sporting director at McLaren only from the 2026 Formula 1 championship, as he is still under contract with the Anglo-Austrian team for another year and a half.
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