Losing team members can create new opportunities for others, claims Horner

On the back of the departure of Red Bull's senior strategist Will Courtenay, team boss Christian Horner insists that he can see positives in the departure of the Milton Keynes's outfit's key member.

Red Bull has recently announced that their chief strategist Will Courtenay will depart from the Milton Keynes-based outfit after a 20-year stint. Courtenay will join McLaren, taking on the role of Racing Director at the papaya outfit.

Courtney's decision marks Red Bull's third key departure this year. The reigning champion's star designer Adrian Newey announced his departure in May while sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will also leave the team to join the future Audi outfit.

“He has been here for 20 years. 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.’”

However, Horner also can recognize positives in losing Courtenay as it creates an opportunity for Hanna Schmitz. The strategist has been instrumental in shaping Red Bull’s race strategies, playing a key role in helping Max Verstappen secure multiple victories.

“At the same time, it gives an opportunity for Hannah Schmitz to move up, which, if she hadn’t had that opportunity, she’d have been a prime target for somebody," concluded Horner.