After two years away Cowell returns to F1 with Aston Martin
Former Mercedes AMG HPP managing director Andy Cowell is to join the Aston Martin F1 team as Group CEO.
Cowell will take over from incumbent Martin Whitmarsh, who is transitioning out of the role, in October.
It was Whitmarsh who in his McLaren days headhunted Cowell, then at BMW, to join HPP. The pair had worked together when Cowell was at Cosworth and Ford supplied its HB V8 to McLaren in 1993.
Over nearly two decades at HPP Cowell played a significant role, with Mercedes winning the World Championship with Lewis Hamilton and McLaren in 2008 and then Jenson Button and Brawn in 2009 before Hamilton began a run of success with the works team and the hybrid V6 in 2014.
Cowell left the Brixworth organisation in 2022. While he will have a range of responsibilities it’s clear that he will play a key part in integrating Honda and Aston as the 2026 power unit project is developed.
“I would like to thank Martin who has been instrumental in our growth phase as a business,” said owner Lawrence Stroll.
“In the last three years, he has developed the team and has helped us achieve some significant milestones, including fostering our relationship with Honda, and delivering our state-of-the-art AMR Technology Campus at Silverstone.
“I am delighted to welcome Andy to our team at a crucial time. Together with our works partnership with Honda, the commitment from our title partner Aramco and Andy’s leadership we are on track to become a world championship winning team. Andy has my full backing and will have every resource available to win.”
Whitmarsh said of Cowell: “He will be an incredible asset to Aston Martin Aramco and will make a significant contribution to the execution of our strategy going forward. Andy’s arrival in October and the completion of the AMR Technology Campus will allow me to step away and focus on other projects in my life, knowing that the foundations have been established with an impressive team, inspiring vision and advanced facilities to achieve success in F1.”
“I am thrilled to join Lawrence’s exciting project and look forward to working with the talented group of people that has been assembled,” said Cowell. “F1 has always been my competitive passion, and I am joining Aston Martin Aramco at an exciting time with the imminent completion of the AMR Technology Campus and our transition in 2026 to a full works team with our strategic partners Honda and Aramco.”
Adam Cooper F1 