Ex-Mercedes F1 engine boss Cowell replaces Whitmarsh as Aston CEO

Former Mercedes Formula 1 engine chief Andy Cowell will replace ex-McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh as Aston Martin’s group CEO from 1 October, the team announced on Tuesday.

Cowell is best known for overseeing Mercedes’ High Performance Powertrains division between 2013 and 2020, during which it built the engines that led the Silver Arrows squad to dominate F1 and win seven title doubles in that period. 

It also secured the 2021 constructors’ championship shortly after Cowell had transitioned to working as a Mercedes consultant.

The former Cosworth and BMW engineer said at the time he as leaving Mercedes he was exiting to “seek a new engineering business challenge”.

Joining Aston represents Cowell’s first F1 management role since his Mercedes departure.

“I am thrilled to join Lawrence [Stroll, Aston chairman]’s exciting project and look forward to working with the talented group of people that has been assembled,” Cowell said in an Aston statement.

“F1 has always been my competitive passion, and I am joining Aston Martin 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.”

Whitmarsh will “be handing over responsibility before the end of the year”, according to Aston’s statement.

Martin Whitmarsh, Group Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

He had joined in late 2021 as CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, with a brief to diversify the British sportscar manufacturers’ F1 and road car technology across key industry sectors.

The Aston F1 team is a subsidiary of AMPT, but Cowell’s title does not include a reference to this.

“I have known Andy for many years and brought him to Mercedes HPP in 2004 where he became managing director between 2013 and 2020, achieving huge success in the business and sport,” said Whitmarsh.

“He will be an incredible asset to Aston Martin 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.”

Stroll said: “I would like to thank Martin who has been instrumental in our growth phase as a business.

“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.

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team, Martin Whitmarsh, Group Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin, on the grid

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“Together with our works partnership with Honda [from 2026], 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.”

Cowell joins Aston as the team is struggling to make its desired progress in F1 after it failed to repeat its impressive off-season gains of 2022-2023 this year and has since dropped out of the leading group of teams.