Red Bull Seeks New Strategy Chief as Will Courtenay Departs for McLaren in 2026

Red Bull Racing is currently seeking a new Senior Strategy Engineer as the team prepares for the departure of long-serving Head of Strategy, Will Courtenay, who is set to join McLaren in mid-2026.

Why it matters

Courtenay has been an integral part of Red Bull's strategy department since 2005. His move to McLaren, where he will serve as Sporting Director, signifies a significant personnel change for the reigning F1 champions.

The context

• McLaren announced Courtenay's signing after last year's Singapore Grand Prix.
• Red Bull resisted McLaren's attempts for an early release, meaning Courtenay will remain with Red Bull throughout the entire F1 2025 season.
• He is expected to complete his move to McLaren by mid-2026 at the latest.
• Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull’s Principal Strategy Engineer, is widely expected to assume Courtenay’s full responsibilities. She recently shared the job advert online, indicating the search for a new team member.
• Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously confirmed Schmitz as Courtenay's likely successor, acknowledging the natural development of talent being sought after by rival teams.

The role

The job description for the Senior Strategy Engineer highlights a demanding and crucial position within the team:

• Managing real-time strategy during race weekends, both trackside on the pitwall and from the operations room in Milton Keynes.
• Working closely with the Head of Race Strategy to enhance department capabilities and efficiency.
• Engaging in cross-department development projects and designing/developing various software, analysis, and infrastructure tools.

Requirements

Red Bull is looking for candidates with specific qualifications and attributes:

• Prior experience in a similar motorsport role, preferably trackside with significant responsibility.
• A degree-level education is preferred, as is the ability to write software.
• Strong time management, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Capability to manage junior engineers and interact effectively with senior engineers and team management.
• Willingness to travel to up to half of the F1 season races, while also supporting from the operations room.

What's next

Interested candidates have until the end of this month to apply for the position. Courtenay's transition to McLaren marks a notable shift in F1's technical and sporting leadership landscape.