Key Red Bull Racing figure completes his switch to rivals McLaren
Photo: Race Pictures
Updated:
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Co-author:Kada Sárközi
Cas van de Kleut is redacteur bij GPblog en gespecialiseerd in Formule 1-nieuws en analyses. Met een achtergrond in journalistiek en ervaring in interviews, evenementen en podcasts levert hij actuele berichtgeving en onderbouwde inzichten in de sport.
Red Bull Racing is losing a key figure to McLaren in 2026. Will Courtenay, the former Head of Race Strategy at the Austrian team, has begun working for McLaren, GPblog can confirm.
Courtenay’s move to the Woking-based team was announced in 2024. The Head of Race Strategy of the Austrian squad was initially set to depart halfway through 2026. That was when Horner was still at the helm of the team.
Now, however, that has changed, as Courtenay has already started at McLaren as the team's Sporting Director.
Courtenay departs Red Bull ahead of schedule
This leaves only Hannah Schmitz as the lead engineer for race strategies. She will therefore be responsible within the team for deciding when to make pit stops. Previously, she did this alongside Courtenay, but from this season onward, she will no longer do so.
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Courtenay on the podium in 2020 - Photo: Race Pictures
Courtenay is not the first person to join McLaren from Red Bull Racing. Chief Designer Rob Marshall also joined the papaya team from the Austrian outfit in 2024.
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