Guenther Steiner has warned that Pink Bull’s technique staff will take a serious hit when Will Courtenay leaves.
Pink Bull’s head of race technique will be a part of McLaren as their sporting director, reportedly from mid-2026.
Steiner insists it’s a additional blow to Pink Bull however they’ve the facility to get well.
“In the end, no person will probably be left at Pink Bull! There will probably be no workplace house,” Steiner, an ex-Pink Bull worker, advised the Pink Flags podcast.
“I do know Will, he was there a very long time. I feel I employed him to start with.
“It’s a kind of issues. He didn’t see development inside Pink Bull, and bought a suggestion from McLaren to be sporting director.
“They don’t have one, and Andrea Stella doesn’t need to do all of it himself.
“Will is an efficient rent for them. He is aware of his method round, he is aware of technique, he is aware of sporting guidelines.
“Pink Bull is restructuring anyway, and perhaps he wasn’t a part of their plans.
“These items occur in F1. However, for certain, it doesn’t make Pink Bull stronger with folks like Will leaving.”
‘McLaren not the strongest with technique’
Courtenay’s function with race technique has been key to Pink Bull’s dominance, resulting in Max Verstappen’s three consecutive F1 championships, Steiner insists.
Pink Bull make the least errors,” the previous Haas staff boss mentioned.
“The technique, you don’t hear if it goes proper. You solely hear if it goes flawed.
“You hardly ever hear it go flawed at Pink Bull, and Will is part of it. He’s the top of it.
“As a sporting director, I don’t know if technique will work for Will at McLaren.
“However he is aware of how you can do it, and what’s wanted. It’s going to assist them.
“McLaren isn’t the strongest with technique.”
‘Lengthy listing of individuals leaving’
Steiner expressed his concern for the amount of exits from Pink Bull.
Courtney follows Adrian Newey (who will be a part of Aston Martin) and Jonathan Wheatley (who will go to Audi) as high-profile members of employees by means of the exit door.
“It’s slightly bit greater than regular,” Steiner mentioned concerning the mind drain.
“Return to final yr. How many individuals left? No person.
“This yr they’re leaving left, proper, and centre. There’s a lengthy listing of individuals leaving.
“However it’s additionally [psychological] – folks have been there a very long time. “Somebody leaves they usually say ‘that will probably be a great transfer for me, as nicely, let’s get out whereas I’m nonetheless value some huge cash as a result of I used to be in one of the best staff of the previous 5 years’.
“You have got a worth. When you wait too lengthy and the staff isn’t sturdy, your worth goes down.”
Staff principal Christian Horner stays on the helm after a troublesome yr when he went by means of an investigation into his behaviour, and has had to deal with Pink Bull’s on-track decline.
“The captain continues to be there, Christian. The engineers are nonetheless there,” Steiner mentioned.
“Pierre Wache continues to be there, he’s superb.
“They may construct up once more with youthful expertise.
“It provides alternative to individuals who in any other case would go. With folks on prime leaving, there are the subsequent folks coming in.
“They may very well be nearly as good because the folks leaving, or higher. You simply don’t know, you want to discover out.
“They’ll fill plenty of the roles from inside.”
