Former Mercedes Method 1 engine chief Andy Cowell will substitute ex-McLaren group boss Martin Whitmarsh as Aston Martin’s group CEO from 1 October, the group introduced on Tuesday.
Cowell is finest identified for overseeing Mercedes’ Excessive Efficiency Powertrains division between 2013 and 2020, throughout which it constructed the engines that led the Silver Arrows squad to dominate F1 and win seven title doubles in that interval.
It additionally secured the 2021 constructors’ championship shortly after Cowell had transitioned to working as a Mercedes advisor.
The previous Cosworth and BMW engineer stated on the time he as leaving Mercedes he was exiting to “search a brand new engineering enterprise problem”.
Becoming a member of Aston represents Cowell’s first F1 administration function since his Mercedes departure.
“I’m thrilled to affix Lawrence [Stroll, Aston chairman]’s thrilling undertaking and look ahead to working with the gifted group of folks that has been assembled,” Cowell stated in an Aston assertion.
“F1 has at all times been my aggressive ardour, and I’m becoming a member of Aston Martin at an thrilling time with the upcoming completion of the AMR Expertise Campus and our transition in 2026 to a full works group with our strategic companions Honda and Aramco.”
Whitmarsh will “be handing over duty earlier than the tip of the yr”, in response to Aston’s assertion.
Martin Whitmarsh, Group Chief Govt Officer, Aston Martin
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
He had joined in late 2021 as CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, with a short to diversify the British sportscar producers’ F1 and highway automobile expertise throughout key trade sectors.
The Aston F1 group is a subsidiary of AMPT, however Cowell’s title doesn’t embody a reference to this.
“I’ve identified Andy for a few years and introduced him to Mercedes HPP in 2004 the place he turned managing director between 2013 and 2020, attaining big success within the enterprise and sport,” stated Whitmarsh.
“He might be an unimaginable asset to Aston Martin and can make a major contribution to the execution of our technique going ahead.
“Andy’s arrival in October and the completion of the AMR Expertise Campus will enable me to step away and give attention to different initiatives in my life, figuring out that the foundations have been established with a powerful group, inspiring imaginative and prescient and superior services to attain success in F1.”
Stroll stated: “I wish to thank Martin who has been instrumental in our progress part as a enterprise.
“Within the final three years, he has developed the group and has helped us obtain some important milestones, together with fostering our relationship with Honda and delivering our state-of-the-art AMR Expertise Campus at Silverstone.
“I’m delighted to welcome Andy to our group at a vital time.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Crew, Martin Whitmarsh, Group Chief Govt Officer, Aston Martin, on the grid
Picture by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“Along with our works partnership with Honda [from 2026], the dedication from our title associate Aramco and Andy’s management we’re on observe to grow to be a world championship profitable group.
“Andy has my full backing and may have each useful resource accessible to win.”
Cowell joins Aston because the group is struggling to make its desired progress in F1 after it didn’t repeat its spectacular low season positive aspects of 2022-2023 this yr and has since dropped out of the main group of groups.