Will Courtenay, after 20 years at Red Bull Racing, has decided to leave the team and join McLaren as their new sporting director. This marks the third departure from Red Bull’s senior management team in recent months, following the exits of chief technical officer Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.
McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, expressed his delight in welcoming Will Courtenay to the team, citing his experience, professionalism, and passion for motorsport as valuable assets to lead their F1 sporting function. Courtenay will report to racing director Randeep Singh and will play a crucial role in enhancing the team’s sporting operations as they aim to compete for wins and championships in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
This move is part of McLaren’s ongoing restructuring efforts since Stella took over as team principal in December 2022. Peter Prodromou has returned as technical director, overseeing aerodynamics, while James Key departed in March 2023. Rob Marshall was appointed as chief designer from Red Bull in May 2023, and David Sanchez joined as technical director for car concept and performance from Ferrari.
With these changes, McLaren has transformed from F1 strugglers to title contenders, with driver Lando Norris closing the gap on championship leader Max Verstappen. Norris’ dominant win at the Singapore Grand Prix has put him within 52 points of Verstappen in the standings, with McLaren also leading Red Bull by 41 points in the Constructors’ Championship.
As the F1 season heads into its final six races, McLaren’s focus remains on challenging for victories and maintaining their strong position in the championship standings. The next race on the calendar is the United States Grand Prix in Austin, scheduled for October 18-20, and fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports F1 with a NOW Sports Month Membership. Enjoy every F1 race and more with no contract obligations – cancel anytime for a seamless viewing experience.
