McLaren has become the biggest challenger to Red Bull this year, securing team’s fifth victory of the season with Lando Norris’ Singapore GP win on Sunday. They have already jumped Red Bull in the Constructor’s Championship standings the week before in Azerbaijan, and in Singapore they have only extended their lead to 41 points gap.

Red Bull faced a setback earlier this year when Adrian Newey, their long-time chief technical officer and one of the most respected designers in the sport, revealed his decision to leave after 18 years with the team and decided to join Aston Martin for a new challenge instead,

Additionally, the reigning champions are set to lose their sporting director, Jonathan Wheatley, who will depart at the end of the year to take on the role of Team Principal at Sauber, soon to be Audi in 2026.

Therefore, Will Courtenay, Red Bull’s current Head of Race Strategy, who is leaving the team after 20 years, is a third loss for the team, which will be hard to swallow especially because he is set to join Red Bull’s biggest rival – McLaren, to become the Papaya team’s Sporting Director.

McLaren’s Team Principal Andrea Stella has addressed the change with a few nice words about Courtenay.

“His experience, professionalism and passion for motorsport make him the ideal candidate to lead our F1 sporting function,” Stella said.

“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.”

It is still not sure when Courtney will join McLaren as Red Bull hasn’t made an official statement yet. However, according to BBC, he has a valid contract with Red Bull till the middle of 2026, which probably won’t be a big deal for McLaren to hold conversations about.