New Aston Martin CEO defends approach as key F1 figure leaves role

New Aston Martin CEO Andy Cowell has defended the team's complex engineering structure, as technical director Dan Fallows has left his role. 

Fallows was signed in 2022 as technical director by the team, but it was announced this week that he was to step back from that role and move elsewhere within Aston's 'matrix' style technical leadership.

The team has signed a number of leading technical figures from rival teams including Adrian Newey from Red Bull, Enrico Cardile from Ferrari and Eric Blandin from Mercedes, leading to questions around how that trio would fit into the existing structure including Fallows and engineering chief Tom McCullough. 

Former Mercedes engine guru Cowell has assumed control of the team as CEO from Martin Whitmarsh, and defended Aston's approach, speaking before news of Fallows relinquishing the technical directorship was announced.

"I remember Mercedes Grand Prix pulling together a gaggle of impressive technical directors and it working out okay on that run into 2014," Cowell told select media including RacingNews365. 

"We are quite a young organisation and going all the way back to the Jordan days it is a couple of decades [old], but the change to being a team that is targetting being at the front and operating with that level of facilities and resources is only recent. 

"Whether it is setting up our own wind tunnel and all the facilities that are required to do that, whether it is making a new gearbox to go on the back of the Honda power unit for 2026 or getting the simulation tools to be class-leading, there is a huge amount of work to be done.

"If you've got senior leaders that can each take one of those big challenges and focus on it, then we will get to the front quicker."