Andy Cowell: From Mercedes F1 guru to Aston Martin boss

Aston Martin has a new F1 team principal with Andy Cowell taking over from Mike Krack with immediate effect. 

Krack, who had served since January 2022, is being moved to a new role of chief trackside officer, focused on the engineering of cars at grands prix, with Aston group CEO Cowell also taking on the team principal role. 

Cowell was appointed as Group CEO last summer, to replace the out-going Martin Whitmarsh as he returned to F1 after nearly four years away from grand prix racing. 

But Cowell was a key, if hidden figure, in the dominant success of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in that previous spell. 

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Meet Andy Cowell

Cowell, is by trade, an engine man. 

He started his career in the late 1990s at Cosworth, and was part of the design team who helped to power Stewart Grand Prix's Johnny Herbert to victory at the 1999 European GP, before a spell with BMW on the monstrous V10s supplied to Williams after the turn of the century. 

A return to Cosworth ended in 2004 when he joined Mercedes-Ilmor, helping to develop the KERS energy-boost introduced by some teams, including Mercedes' de facto works outfit McLaren in 2009. 

After a period as engineering director through the rest of the V8 period, Cowell became managing director of Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains in 2013, the final year of the V8 rules.

But most focus was now on 2014 and the 1.6L V6 turbo hybrid rules. 

Under his leadership, Mercedes HPP aced the new regulations, its works Mercedes team crushing the opposition in 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Through the change in aerodynamic rules for 2017, Mercedes remained unbeatable, with its engines providing strong power output and having almost bullet-proof reliability. 

The team would go onto win all 12 championships with engines designed by Cowell in the period 2014-2020, although he would depart HPP in June 2020 for a new challenge. 

In the four years between his Mercedes exit and joining Aston as CEO, Cowell kept a low profile, but his return to Aston is interesting in one sense. 

Aston is to join forces with Honda for 2026 for the all-new technical regulations which feature beefed-up electrical systems, with Cowell's expertise at running a successful engine project set to be invaluable for both Honda as it returns full-time and Aston as it becomes accustomed to being a full works status team.