Andy Cowell looks set to depart Aston Martin during the 2026 Formula 1 season following a staff reshuffle by soon to be Team Principal Adrian Newey.
Joining Aston Martin in 2024. Cowell assumed the role of CEO of the team, taking over from previous occupant Martin Whitmarsh.
His role was to restructure Aston Martin’s operation, the Silverstone based team suffering a dramatic downturn in performance from the its high point in 2023.
Undertaking sweeping changes, questions over his future were raised by the announcement Newey would take on the role of Team Principal in 2026.
Cowell was moved to the role of Chief Strategy Officer, ahead of Honda’s return to F1 with the team, with no clear detail behind the appointment.
A bitter end to Aston Martin marriage for Andy Cowell?
Newey attempted to explain away the reason for Cowell’s apparent demotion last season, explaining his expertise could be used elsewhere.
“To be perfectly honest, it became very evident that, with the challenge of the ’26 PU, Andy’s skillset, in terms of helping the three-way relationship between Honda, Aramco and ourselves, is absolutely his skillset,” Newey said to Sky Sports F1.
“So he very magnanimously volunteered to be heavily involved in that through the first part of ’26.
“And that left [the question], ‘OK, well who’s going to be TP?’
“Since I’m going to be doing all the early races anyway, it doesn’t actually particularly change my workload because I’m there anyway, so I may as well pick up that bit.”
Planet F1 has reported that Cowell is said to be seething at his new role, the relationship now reaching a terminal decline behind the scenes.
Although present for the launch of Honda’s power unit in Tokyo, the project he was moved onto, he is said to be on the verge of an acrimonious divorce.
His depature is expected prior to the summer break, just months after Newey will take up his position as Team Principal.
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