Guenther Steiner has warned that Pink Bull’s technique staff will take a significant 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 likely be left at Pink Bull! There will likely be no workplace house,” Steiner, an ex-Pink Bull worker, informed 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 type of issues. He didn’t see development inside Pink Bull, and bought a proposal from McLaren to be sporting director.
“They don’t have one, and Andrea Stella doesn’t wish to do all of it himself.
“Will is an effective 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 possibly 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 position 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 fallacious.
“You not often hear it go fallacious at Pink Bull, and Will is part of it. He’s the pinnacle of it.
“As a sporting director, I don’t know if technique will work for Will at McLaren.
“However he is aware of find out how to do it, and what’s wanted. It’s going to assist them.
“McLaren is just not the strongest with technique.”
‘Lengthy checklist 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 just a little 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 checklist of individuals leaving.
“However it’s additionally [psychological] – folks have been there a very long time. “Somebody leaves and so they say ‘that will likely be 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 the very best staff of the previous 5 years’.
“You may have a worth. Should you wait too lengthy and the staff isn’t robust, your worth goes down.”
Group principal Christian Horner stays on the helm after a tough 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 excellent.
“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 following folks coming in.
“They could possibly be nearly as good because the folks leaving, or higher. You simply don’t know, it is advisable discover out.
“They’ll fill a whole lot of the roles from inside.”
