By Gura Garcia
Sep 25, 2024, 08:21 AM EDT
The rise of the McLaren team in Formula 1 does not stop and on the contraryRed Bull’s debacle seems to have no bottom for the moment; the former have announced the signing of Will Courtenay, head of strategy for the energy drink team, as their new sporting director.
McLaren are delighted with this signing
“We are delighted to welcome Will to McLaren,” said team principal Andrea Stella. “His experience, professionalism and passion for motorsport make him the ideal candidate to lead our motorsport function in F1.”
“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 fighting for wins and championships.”
Courtenay made his debut with the Milton Keynes-based team as an engineer systems manager in the 2003 season under the Jaguar name, but found his place in strategy roles once the team was renamed Red Bull for the 2005 campaign.
After a time in the energy drinks team where he rose to be named as the head of race strategy for a multiple world champion team, Courtenay will be making his arrival at McLaren, in a role in which he will report to its long-serving racing director, Randeep Singh, with a clear remit of strengthening its circuit racing operations.
“Will will remain part of the team until mid-2026.”
It is not yet clear when Courtenay will be making the team change.as the Englishman still has a valid contract with Red Bull until the middle of the 2026 season. A spokesperson for the team confirmed that Courtenay will be working for the team until the aforementioned date.
“Will has been offered the role of Sporting Director,” the spokesman said. “After a long and successful service, having been with the team since the Jaguar days, we are sad to see him go but wish him all the best as he takes this step forward.”
It is worth noting that Courtenay is the latest executive to leave the ranks of Red Bull, As design guru Adrian Newey recently signed for Aston Martin, the team where Spaniard and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso lives, and where he will make his debut in the 2025 season. Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will take over as Sauber team principal from next season.
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