Aston Martin: Andy Cowell named team principal as Mike Krack demoted to chief trackside officer in organisational restructure | F1 News

Aston Martin has appointed Andy Coyle as team principal after Mike Crack was demoted from his role in an organizational restructuring.

Cowell, a former Mercedes engine expert, joined the team as group CEO in October last year, but is now also team director.

Crack, who has been Aston Martin team principal since 2022, will become chief track officer as part of changes that split the aerodynamics, engineering and performance departments into separate trackside and campus operations.

Aston Martin, which moves to its new Silverstone campus in 2023, says the changes are designed for “driving clarity and as part of a shift to a flatter chassis” and to help achieve its “mission of becoming a championship-winning team”.

“I have spent the last three months understanding and evaluating our performance, and I have been incredibly impressed by the dedication, commitment and hard work of this team,” said Cowell, the mastermind behind the engines that have helped Mercedes win eight consecutive constructors’ races. Titles from 2014 to 2021.

“With the completion of the AMR Technology Park and our transition in 2026 to a full works team, together with our strategic partners Honda and Aramco, we are on a journey to become a championship-winning team.

“These organizational changes represent a natural progression of the multi-year plans we have planned to implement and I am very excited for the future.”

The announcement also confirmed that Enrico Cardele will take over as technical director who was hired in July last year, with the Italian having only just been allowed to start after taking a period of gardening sabbatical after leaving Ferrari.

The Aston Martin announcement did not mention legendary designer Adrian Newey, who will join the team as managing technical partner in March after leaving Red Bull.

“The team based at the AMR Technology Campus will be led by new team technical director, Enrico Cardele, with a team that can now focus 100 per cent of its time on the competitive prowess challenge of creating a new race,” the team statement said. Enrico will oversee the engineering, design and construction of the new race cars.”

Tom McCullough, who previously led track operations under the title of Performance Director, will remain in a “group leadership role, where he will play a critical role in scaling the team’s wider range of racing categories”.

The changes come after Aston Martin slumped in 2024 after an encouraging campaign in 2023. While they finished both seasons in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll’s points total fell from 280 to 94.

Aston Martin has made no secret of its hope of becoming a title contender, especially when a new generation of engine regulations and design are introduced to the sport in 2026.

The team secured a deal to have its engines manufactured by Honda, Red Bull’s current supplier, and move away from Mercedes.

Billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll, whose son Lance drives the team alongside two-time world champion Alonso, has spared no expense in his attempts to create a title-winning team.

Watch all 24 weekends of the 2025 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1, starting with the Australian Grand Prix on March 14-16. Stream Sky Sports now – no contract, you can cancel at any time