Red Bull head of race strategy Will Courtenay has decided to leave the team after 14 years in the role and join McLaren as sporting director.
The move makes Courtenay the third member of Red Bull senior management to leave the team in the past five months, and is the latest development in an ongoing restructure at McLaren.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said: “Will’s experience, professionalism and passion for motorsport make him the ideal candidate to lead our sporting function.
“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 challenging for wins and championships.”
Courtenay will report to racing director Randeep Singh, with the aim of “helping grow the team’s sporting operations”, said McLaren.
Red Bull declined to comment officially on the move, but a source at the team said: “After a long and successful service, being with the team since the Jaguar days, we are sad to see Will go but wish him all the best in this step up.
“Will continues to be part of the team, seeing out his contract until mid-2026.”
Although Red Bull’s position is that Courtenay will see out his contract, typically in such situations teams enter into a period of negotiations leading to a compromise deal that allows the employee to move sooner.
McLaren’s restructure dates back to the appointment of Andrea Stella as team principal in December 2022.
It started with the departure of former technical director James Key in March 2023, coinciding with a series of changes that included the return of Peter Prodromou, who had been sidelined under Key, as technical director in charge of aerodynamics.
Two months later, McLaren signed Rob Marshall from Red Bull as chief designer. He started work in January this year.
Under Stella’s leadership McLaren have progressed from the back of the field at the start of last season to title contenders this year.
McLaren driver Lando Norris is 52 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship with six races to go, while McLaren lead Red Bull by 41 points in the constructors’ championship.