New year, new life. The old saying becomes reality for Will Courtenay, the former long-time Red Bull strategist, who begins his work at McLaren in January 2026 as Sporting Director. The announcement came directly from the English engineer via a LinkedIn post, confirming the end of his lengthy gardening leave following his departure from the Milton Keynes team, which was officially announced back in September 2024. His exit occurred during the exodus that also saw Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley leave the team in just a few months. Red Bull had initially slowed Courtenay’s move to a rival team, preventing him from starting at Woking until January 2026.
Will Courtenay’s words
“I am happy to announce that I am about to start my new role,” Will Courtenay wrote on LinkedIn, “as Sporting Director at McLaren Racing. After 22 years at Red Bull, the last 15 of which were spent as Head of Strategy, I am excited to say that I am embarking on a new challenge by joining McLaren as the team’s new Sporting Director. I want to thank everyone I have worked with at Red Bull. Over these years, I have made many friendships, and I hope to see most of you again in the paddock. These have been two wonderful decades, and a little bit more.”
“Now,” the English engineer continued, “I am looking forward to settling into my new role and my new team, hoping to make many new friends and to give my best to help McLaren continue its recent streak of success in the seasons ahead.”
Replacing Will Courtenay as Red Bull’s Head of Strategy will be Hannah Schmitz, regarded as one of the best on the grid in the field of strategy after bold tactical decisions, including the move that allowed Red Bull to outsmart the Ferrari pit wall and win the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix with Sergio Perez.
Will Courtenay’s official arrival at McLaren marks a significant reinforcement for the team’s sporting leadership as they head into 2026, ending a 22-year tenure at Red Bull that helped define their championship-winning strategy department.
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