Red Bull fan favorite Hannah Schmitz in line for potential promotion after McLaren poach Will Courtenay

Red Bull Racing is set to lose another senior figure, as rivals McLaren have announced Will Courtenay as their new sporting director, starting in mid-2026. Following Courtenay's departure, the Austrian team is expected to promote fan-favorite strategist Hannah Schmitz.

Courtenay has been with the Milton Keynes-based team for two decades, having joined the Jaguar team before Red Bull's takeover and holds the position of head of strategy. Schmitz, who joined the team in 2009, serves as the principal strategy engineer. She has garnered popularity in recent years for executing flawless strategic decisions.

Red Bull Racing's advisor Helmut Marko addressed the exodus of senior personnel from the team. Marko insists that championship-winning organizations are perpetually at risk of losing talent to competitors. He expects an in-house promotion for Schmitz following Courtenay's departure, as they couldn't match McLaren's offer.

"It is a natural development, when you are so successful, that people are poached. There is someone with us who can take over this position, and that is Hannah Schmitz.

"What we offered Will Courtenay did not interest him. And he had an offer for this position (sporting director at McLaren), something that is also more financially attractive," he told Motorsport-Total.

In recent years, Red Bull has lost several key figures, including Dan Fallows, Rob Marshall, Adrian Newey, Johnathan Wheatley and Will Courtenay to rival teams. Courtenay will team up with Marshall at McLaren in 2026, concluding his two-decade journey with the Milton Keynes-based team after serving his current contract.

Amid the departure of key figures, the reigning champions have slipped to second in the constructors' standings, with McLaren now holding a 41-point lead.

---

Red Bull team boss highlights Sergio Perez's role in defending the title

With six rounds remaining in the 2024 F1 season, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner emphasized that both drivers need to be firing on all cylinders to beat McLaren to the championship.

He added that Sergio Perez needs to maximize his results to defend the constructor's title.

"We need to have two drivers firing on all cylinders," Horner was quoted by RacingNews365. "Checo had a good weekend (in Azerbaijan) and a tough weekend (in Singapore).

"We need to put some weekends together where we're putting two drivers on the podiums. It is those big points that really make a difference. We need to make sure that Checo is as far up the field as we can get him."

Horner insists Max Verstappen's fight for his fourth driver's title will be stretched to the season finale despite holding a 52-point advantage over his nearest rival Lando Norris.