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McLaren’s Plans Hit a Wall as Red Bull Strategy Ace Will Courtenay Stays Put for 2025

Virgilio Machado by Virgilio Machado
January 15, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
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Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - November 29, 2024 McLaren's Lando Norris during practice REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

McLaren’s ambitions to supercharge its Formula 1 operations with Red Bull’s head of strategy, Will Courtenay, have been dealt a significant blow. Despite securing Courtenay for 2026, Red Bull has made it clear he will remain on their pitwall throughout the 2025 season, leaving McLaren to wait longer than hoped for their prized hire.


The Long Wait for Courtenay
Last September, McLaren announced the high-profile signing of Will Courtenay as their new sporting director. Tasked with bolstering McLaren’s race weekend operations, Courtenay was expected to report directly to racing director Randeep Singh. However, with his Red Bull contract running until mid-2026, McLaren faced an uphill battle to bring him on board earlier.

While early releases are often negotiated in such scenarios, Red Bull has refused to budge, opting instead to keep Courtenay in his current role through the 2025 campaign. He will continue working alongside Red Bull’s principal strategy engineer, Hannah Schmitz, who is slated to step into Courtenay’s role once his departure finally occurs.

Red Bull’s Perspective: Retain Talent, Promote from Within
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner expressed no animosity over Courtenay’s decision to leave, acknowledging the appeal of McLaren’s offer. “He [Courtenay] has been here for 20 years,” Horner remarked. “We talked about other roles within the group. He was offered a bigger role on a very high salary from McLaren, and at that point, you have got to say: ‘Good luck. Go for it.'”

Horner also highlighted how Courtenay’s exit paves the way for Schmitz to take the reins. “If she hadn’t had that opportunity, she’d have been a prime target for somebody,” he noted.

Red Bull has a history of keeping key staff active until their final days, as evidenced by sporting director Jonathan Wheatley’s continued contributions last year before his move to Sauber.

McLaren’s Stopgap Solution
While Courtenay remains tied to Red Bull, McLaren has taken steps to strengthen its own structure in preparation for the 2025 season. Oli Cartlidge, formerly a senior race strategy specialist, has been promoted to lead race strategy and strategy operations. His expanded role is designed to free Singh to focus on broader racing operations without getting bogged down in strategy specifics.

This internal reshuffle, coupled with Cartlidge’s elevation, ensures McLaren maintains clarity in its pitwall decision-making as it aims to contend for both championships.

Strategic Tug-of-War in F1
Red Bull’s decision to retain Courtenay through 2025 underscores the fierce competition for talent in Formula 1, where top strategists are often as critical as the drivers themselves. For McLaren, the delay may sting, but the long-term payoff of acquiring a seasoned expert like Courtenay could prove invaluable in their pursuit of championship glory.

Meanwhile, Red Bull’s confidence in Schmitz signals the depth of their strategic team, ensuring a seamless transition even as high-profile departures loom.


What’s Next?
With Will Courtenay out of reach until 2026, McLaren will need to make the most of its current resources to maintain momentum. Red Bull, meanwhile, will look to maximize Courtenay’s expertise for one more season while grooming Schmitz to lead their strategy efforts moving forward.

The 2025 season will not only test McLaren’s patience but also its adaptability as it navigates this critical transition period in its quest to return to the top of Formula 1.

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