Andy Cowell outlines Aston Martin’s F1 ambitions: sustainable success, nonstop innovation, and the mindset to conquer Everest every single year.
Andy Cowell left his role as head of Mercedes’ engine department to become managing director of Aston Martin F1. Reflecting on his new position, he explains that the core of his work remains unchanged.
“The majority of the job is the same as what I was doing before. It’s about understanding how to lead an engineering company. It’s a group of people creating an extraordinary machine. Previously, it was a power unit—now, it’s the race car,” Cowell told Crash.net.
“That part is the same because it’s about mathematics, physics, and a bit of chemistry. You have theories, and you run experiments to see if those theories hold up, and that requires a combination of precise engineering and fast, high-quality operations.”
“So that part is exactly the same, and I believe that’s what will drive us forward. What’s different, I think, is the interviews and the time spent telling the story of what we’re doing.”
“The story is more or less the same, but with this role, it’s necessary to tell it. I suppose the relationship with Fernando and Lance [Stroll] is the same, but for them, it’s a very clear requirement. It’s about keeping them informed about what we’re doing.”
Aston Martin’s goal is to chase success while also fighting sustainably for the world title. Cowell outlines how he plans to achieve that.
“I think it’s about finding an efficient organization, sound engineering methods, and ensuring we can rapidly develop innovations 365 days a year, without wasting energy and while keeping the machine running beautifully. It’s about encouraging ideas and getting them to the track.”
“All successful teams have found a way to do this, but the challenge is often sticking to it. Some people only want to climb Everest once. To win multiple championships, you need to create the environment, atmosphere, and excitement necessary to climb Everest every year.”
The first action taken within the team was to eliminate interdependency and ensure work could continue at the factory regardless of who is available: “Yes, absolutely. The team has great strengths.”
“It has developed a way of operating where no department depends on a single individual—everything just works. So, if a team is away for a race weekend, development continues.”
Like at Mercedes, Cowell refuses to see failure as inevitable, and he remains positive in the face of difficulty: “I think if you’re truly innovating and trying novel things in the factory, the world-class success rate is 20%. Four out of five times, you won’t get a positive result.”
“But the key is to ensure that those four out of five times become learning experiences, so each outcome offers a positive lesson and encourages people to take chances, be ambitious, overcome barriers, and realize their initial dream.”
He says it’s about instilling a new vision into the team: “I think it’s simply about saying ‘this is the mission, and this is where we want to get to’ and encouraging every department to aim for that goal.”
“Don’t think about step 1 and then step 2—let’s move directly to step 2. Every time you hear the phrase ‘that’s good enough,’ it’s as though you’re certain of yourself. The ambition for perfection, coupled with the understanding that it’s an aspiration rather than a goal—that’s what needs to be encouraged throughout the company.”
“Luke [Skipper, Aston Martin’s Communications Director] sends me an email after every race to tell me what I can improve communication-wise. It’s about everything we do—how can we improve?”
This perspective mirrors what he experienced at Mercedes, where the pursuit of excellence was relentless, though the objectives differ: “The Mercedes team had the mindset of ‘the best or nothing,’ and I love that. I really don’t like coming to a race and just ending up on the podium.”
“Here, I appreciate it much more if we can make it happen. But as Niki Lauda used to say, enjoy it for a moment, then get back to work and fix all the issues. That kind of obsession is what drives the team’s success. It’s that kind of obsession—relentless effort to improve.”
Cowell also praised the work done by Lawrence Stroll as CEO and owner of Aston Martin, and the momentum he’s created: “I think Lawrence has an extraordinary vision, and we’re all trying to bring it to life.”
“We will constantly seek areas where each department, each part of the car, can be improved—and we will try to implement those improvements faster than our competitors. If you’re developing faster than your rival, you’ll catch them.”
“If you do that long enough, you’ll overtake them—and once you’re in front, you work even harder. And it really is more difficult when you’re leading, because then you’re truly pioneering in every area.”
“But I think everyone is ready and enthusiastic to do it. We don’t know if we’ll succeed, or when, because we don’t know what our competitors are doing. All we can do is stay focused on our own task.”
