Former Red Bull strategy chief Will Courtenay has taken up the role of McLaren sporting director as Formula 1 returns to work after the winter break.
A McLaren spokesperson confirmed that Courtney officially joined on January 2, 2026, but had no further comment.
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Courtney had signed to join McLaren in September 2024, but his contract initially ran until a few months into 2026.
However, the emergence of new leadership at Red Bull following the sacking of Christian Horner in July sparked talks over Courtney’s future reopening, with the two teams having reached a compromise.
Courtney confirmed the news on his LinkedIn page, saying: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone I worked with at Red Bull. I made a lot of great friends there and I hope I can still see many of you in the paddock. It’s been an incredible two and a half years.
“But now I’m looking forward to settling into my new role and team, and hopefully meeting many new people, as I do my best to help McLaren continue its recent success in the coming years.”
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In his new role, Courtney reports to McLaren Racing Director Randy Singer.
Red Bull is expected to promote chief strategy engineer Hannah Schmitz, who has worked closely with Courtney for the past 15 years, to lead their strategy team.
The new F1 season will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6 to 8.
Before then, the team will conduct three pre-season tests to prepare the new car following major changes to chassis and engine regulations for 2026 – a private test at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona from January 26 to 30, followed by two tests in Bahrain from February 11 to 13 and February 18 to 20.
