Aston Martin reassigned Andy Cowell from the Group CEO and team-principal roles he held through 2025 to chief strategy officer ahead of the 2026 season, while technical chief Adrian Newey assumed the team-principal role late in 2025. The move prompted questions in the paddock about whether a designer is the right fit for team leadership. As part of the wider reorganization, Aston Martin also reassigned Mike Krack to a trackside performance role.

The personnel changes were closely tied to Aston Martin’s switch from Mercedes-supplied engines to a bespoke Honda power unit — a technical shift sources say reshaped Cowell’s responsibilities. The team refocused him on optimizing technical partnerships with Honda, Aramco and Valvoline; he attended Honda’s power-unit launch in Tokyo and Aston Martin’s 2026 car unveiling as part of that work.

Cowell joined Aston Martin in 2024 after two decades at Mercedes High-Performance Powertrains and a spell out of the sport after 2020. Aston Martin insiders and PlanetF1 sources described relations as strained as Cowell’s remit narrowed after the engine homologation process, and some reports characterized the split as acrimonious. Reports differ on Cowell’s departure timeline: several outlets say he could leave in June or before the summer break, while others expect him to remain on Aston Martin’s books through year-end.

Sources