Will Courtenay, who has been with Red Bull since it bought Jaguar Racing, confirms that he has started work at McLaren.

His decision to leave Milton Keynes for Woking was first revealed in 2024 and while it was widely thought that he wouldn't complete the move until later this season, the Briton has confirmed that the granting of an early release from the Austrian team has allowed him to take up his new post earlier than expected.

"I am pleased to announce that I will be taking up a new position as sporting director at McLaren Racing," he posted on LinkedIn. "After 22 years at Red Bull, including the last 15 as head of race strategy, I am delighted to say that I am now taking on a new challenge and joining the McLaren as sporting director.

"I want to say a huge thank you to everyone I worked with at Red Bull," he continued. "I made so many great friends there, and I hope I will see many of you in the paddock many more times. It was two incredible decades.

"But now I look forward to settling into my new position and team and hopefully making many more new friends, while doing my utmost to help McLaren continue its recent success in the years to come."

A systems engineer with Jaguar, he was promoted to the strategy team when Red Bull bought the Milton Keynes outfit in 2004.

Promoted to the role of Head of Strategy in 2010 he later shared the role with Hannah Schmitz, the pair alternating between working trackside or from the team's HQ.

While Helmut Marko played down Courtenay's decision to leave the team, at McLaren Andrea Stella made clear he was delighted to have the Briton on board.

"Will's experience, professionalism, and passion for motorsport make him the ideal candidate to lead our sporting function," said the Italian at the time of the announcement in 2024. "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."

In his new role, Courtenay will report to racing director Randeep Singh.