At Aston Martin, Andy Cowell is a new team boss: the Briton wants to interlink the individual departments before the 2026 rule changes
During the major 2014 rule changes, he was responsible for Mercedes’ miracle engine, with which the Silver Arrows were to dominate the sport in the following years: Andy Cowell. In 2026, the regulations will be changed again on a large scale, but this time the Briton will play a completely different role: as the new team principal, he is to lead Aston Martin into a successful future.
However, quite a few experts in the paddock are wondering whether Cowell in his original role as an engineer would not perhaps be more valuable to billionaire Lawrence Stroll’s team in his original role as an engineer than in the command stand – but if it is up to the Briton himself, times have changed fundamentally, and with them the demands on the team to do the best possible job when the rules change.
“Whenever there is a rule change, it’s an opportunity to be better than the competition. It’s a fresh start, in a way.” Cowell sees certain parallels with the past – but: ‘The change from 2013 to 2014 was particularly drastic, because the drive rules were changed from a naturally aspirated engine to a direct-injection turbo with MGU-H and MGU-K – you couldn’t go anywhere without a functioning system.’
Cowell: “Maybe I’m underestimating it too…”
“Whereas from 2025 to 2026, we are taking out the ‘H’, so to speak, which results in a more complex turbo lag, as well as a larger battery, a more powerful motor and a lower fuel flow rate,” explains Cowell, who sees fuel as a “major challenge” in this regard.
Nevertheless, the Brit is clear: “I’m not sure whether it’s such a dramatic change (as in 2014). It’s more of an evolution of what we already have today. Maybe I’m underestimating it a bit, but I think the real challenge lies in the fact that not only the drive rules are being changed, but also those for aerodynamics and tires,” says Cowell, who sees several factors that could cause the field to drift apart again.
Nevertheless, with Honda, Aston Martin will have a highly successful engine partner at its side in 2026. “Honda is extremely efficient – as proven by the number of victories and championships in recent years. In fact, the Honda engine has won more recently than the Mercedes one. So hats off to them,“ says Cowell, paying his respects.
”Bridge builder” to Honda and among departments
The engine expert has already paid a visit to the factory of the future partner: He was impressed by the “ambition, creativity, drive, humor and excellent facilities”. Especially since the Briton, based on his personal experience in the field, is able to “put myself in their shoes and support them,” says Cowell. An important part of his job is to ensure that “the engineering team in Silverstone works seamlessly with the team in Sakura”.
He himself is currently learning more every day “about what it means to develop a race car. My experience in the field of drive units helps me to bring the teams together and communicate their perspectives to each other,” explains Cowell, who therefore sees himself as a ‘bridge builder’ between the various departments in order to achieve the common goal for 2026: ”A highly efficient race car – both aerodynamically and in terms of its drive system.”
For Cowell, the ingredients needed to achieve this are clear: “Every single system is optimized for efficiency, because if you consistently pursue efficiency, the stopwatch shows at the end that you have done a good job. This is precisely what drives us as a team and as an organization in every department.” At least in this respect, nothing has changed in Formula One since 2014…
