Courtenay joins McLaren after early Red Bull exit

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Andrew Benson

F1 Correspondent

19 seconds ago

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Will Courtenay, the former Red Bull head of strategy, has taken over as McLaren’s sporting director as Formula 1 resumes operations after its winter break.

A team spokesman confirmed Courtenay’s appointment without further comment on January 2, 2026.

Courtenay had signed with McLaren in September 2024, but he had initially been hampered by his contract, which had been in effect for some time until 2026.

Courtenay confirmed the news on his LinkedIn profile, saying, “I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Red Bull. I made a lot of great friends there, and I’m hoping to see many of you there as well. It lasted for two and a half decades.

“But as I make my best efforts to help McLaren continue its recent success in the upcoming years, I’m looking forward to settling into my new role and team, and hopefully making plenty of new friends.”

Randy Singh, the director of McLaren racing, reports to Courtenay in his new role.

Hannah Schmitz, a principal strategy engineer at Red Bull who has spent the past 15 years working with Courtenay, will be appointed as the team’s leader.

The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, scheduled for 6-8 March, will kick off the new F1 season.