Fernando Alonso has hailed the signing of Andy Cowell at Aston Martin, stating it comes at a “crucial time” for the squad.
Aston Martin confirmed earlier this month it had penned a deal with the Briton, who will replace the out-going Martin Whitmarsh.
Cowell is most known for his role as Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, overseeing its highly successful period in the turbo-hybrid era.
His expertise arrives at Aston Martin ahead of the team's transition to Honda power units in 2026 when new regulations will come into play.
When asked if his experience will help Aston Martin's integration with Honda, Alonso told media including RacingNews365: “I would say so, but that’s an opinion from the outside, or you maybe know him more than what I do.
“With his background and experience, it’s a crucial time for the team being with Honda and having our own gearbox, our own fuel with Aramco, that we are not sharing with other teams or any other Honda-powered teams.
“Definitely there are a couple of big challenges ahead for our team.
“And these kind of people and great engineers and designers will help us for sure.”
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Alonso hoping for Whitmarsh swansong
Alonso has signed up to race in F1 for at least the next two seasons and is set to be behind the wheel of the Aston Martin-Honda entry for 2026.
With Cowell taking over the role from F1 veteran Whitmarsh, Alonso highlighted his desire to end Whitmarsh's tenure with the team on a high.
“I’m very happy obviously, I don’t know him [Cowell] personally and I only respect him as an opponent in the past, but I’m looking forward to meeting Andy and to chat about his view in the team,” Alonso said.
“Obviously, Lawrence [Stroll] has a lot of trust in him. Also, Martin, by the way, I want to say thanks great contribution for Aston Martin.
“When Martin arrived in the team, it was just the transition from his previous name to Aston Martin and he did a lot for the team and for the organisation.
“Hopefully before Martin leaves, we can deliver something on track to make him happy.”
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