Will Courtenay has started his work as Sporting Director at McLaren from the onset of F1 2026 after getting the release granted from Red Bull Racing.
McLaren announced Courtenay as its Sporting Director back in September in 2025, with a joining date of sometime in mid-2026. He was due to be grounded under gardening leave rule, but it seems like he has gotten an early start time and has already started work at the Woking-based team.
As the teams step up their preparation for 2026 F1 season with only couple of weeks left for first test in Barcelona, it is a major relief for McLaren to have Courtenay in his role from the get go. The Brit has been part of Red Bull family for 22 years, more so in the Head of Strategy role.
He worked together with Hannah Schmitz and also worked on trackside operations. While McLaren hasn’t shared a release on his joining, but Courtenay has himself updated on his professional account about completing the switch from one champion team to another.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Sporting Director at McLaren Racing,” wrote Courtenay, who is another big figure to join McLaren from Red Bull in recent times. “After 22 years at Red Bull Racing, the last 15 as Head of Race Strategy there, I’m excited to say I’m now embarking on a new challenge, joining the McLaren Racing Formula1 Team as Sporting Director.
“I’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone I worked with at Red Bull. I made so many great friends there and I hope I’ll still see many of you in the paddock. It was an incredible two and a bit decades. But now I’m looking forward to settling into my new role and team, and hopefully making plenty more new friends, as I do my very best to help McLaren continue its recent success in the coming years,” summed up Courtenay.
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