Andy Cowell has been appointed as the new team principal of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team in a restructuring move that sees Mike Krack transition to a trackside role.
Krack, who has been team principal since 2022, has been replaced by Cowell, who was previously the group CEO. According to Aston Martin, this change was made for clarity of leadership and to implement a flatter organizational structure. Cowell, who joined in October last year, comes with a strong reputation from his previous role as managing director of Mercedes’ power unit company High Performance Powertrains (HPP).
Aston Martin is reorganizing its aerodynamics, engineering, and performance departments into trackside and factory-based teams, both reporting to Cowell.
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With Krack now taking on the role of chief trackside officer, his responsibility is focused solely on trackside operations, while the oversight of factory personnel falls under the new chief technical officer Enrico Cardile. Cardile, a new addition this year and former Ferrari technical director, will lead a team dedicated to the competitive challenge of creating a new race car.
As part of the restructuring, performance director Tom McCullough will transition away from the F1 team to a leadership position within the wider group, focusing on expanding the team’s other racing categories.
“I have spent the last three months evaluating our performance, and I’ve been impressed by the dedication and hard work of this team,” said Cowell. “With the completion of the AMR Technology Campus and our transition to a full works team in 2026, alongside our strategic partners Honda and Aramco, we are on a path to becoming a championship-winning team. These organizational changes are part of our long-term plans, and I am excited about the future.”
Andy Cowell moves from Group Chief Executive Officer to team principal at Aston Martin. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
The restructuring follows a change in the technical department late last season, with Dan Fallows stepping down as technical director to take on a group role.
Mccullough attributed the change to the team’s lack of progress in in-season car development, as Aston Martin finished fifth in the 2024 constructors’ championship with 94 points, down from 280 the previous year. Aston Martin started both seasons competitively but struggled as the season progressed.
These organizational changes are preparatory for the arrival of Adrian Newey as the managing technical partner at Aston Martin later this year.
