Max Verstappen loses key Red Bull employee early to McLaren

Will Courtenay has secured an early release from his Red Bull contract to take up the sporting director role at McLaren, ending a protracted saga that threatened to keep the strategy expert sidelined until mid-2026.

The 22-year Red Bull veteran announced his appointment via LinkedIn, bringing to a close one of the paddock's most closely watched contract disputes after former team principal Christian Horner's outfit initially refused to release their head of race strategy.

"I am pleased to announce that I will be taking up a new position as sporting director at McLaren Racing!" declared Courtenay.

Courtenay's arrival represents a significant coup for Andrea Stella's team. His 15 years orchestrating Red Bull's race strategy, including their dominant periods under Adrian Newey's aerodynamic mastery, will provide McLaren with invaluable insight into their rivals' tactical approach.

The move had been an open secret since 2024, yet Horner's reluctance to release such a key figure threatened to keep McLaren waiting for much longer.

But the teams have now agreed to an earlier-than-expected release.

"After 22 years at Red Bull Racing, including the last 15 as head of race strategy, I am delighted to say that I am now taking on a new challenge and joining the McLaren Formula One team as sporting director," Courtenay explained in his announcement.

"I want to say a huge thank you to everyone I worked with at Red Bull. I made so many great friends there, and I hope I will see many of you in the paddock many more times. It was two incredible decades.

"But now I look forward to settling into my new position and team and hopefully making many more new friends, while doing my utmost to help McLaren continue its recent success in the years to come," Courtenay concluded, outlining his ambitions for the Woking-based team's future campaigns.