This is how Aston Martin want to become the best team: 'Being obsessively engaged with innovation'

Andy Cowell, the CEO and team boss of the Aston Martin F1 Team, has great ambitions. Nothing less than the world titles in Formula 1 are the goal. During an exclusive interview with GPblog, the Brit spoke about the path to achieving this goal; through pioneering, maximising people's potential, and building a close bond with Honda.

Suddenly, Andy Cowell's phone rang. Lawrence Stroll, the highest figure of the Aston Martin F1 Team, was on the line and he had one simple question for the Brit, who particularly made a name for himself as the driving force behind the Mercedes engine project: Do you have interest in joining the most ambitious team on the grid? "It was a very easy decision to say yes, that I'd love to join him and help him grow, develop the team and it's a really exciting time at the moment," Cowell said during an exclusive interview with GPblog.

Aston Martin are growing rapidly; in terms of facilities and personnel. Now it's up to Cowell to get everyone to work in the most efficient and clear way towards the ultimate dream: becoming world champions in Formula 1. Just like he did at Mercedes. "I’m enjoying it. I love working with Lawrence. He's a very driven, ambitious, intelligent character."

Andy Cowell during his first press conference for Aston Martin

When the Brit is asked about what attracts him to his job, an extensive answer follows, filled with passion for the sport. "I think it's working with a group of people and coming up with an organisation and a way of working, where a group of people achieve more than they ever imagined they could achieve. That group of people makes the impossible possible. That's the thing that I love. I love challenges where people raise their eyebrows when you say what the target is, but over time you get there."

Cowell steps forward at Aston Martin

Obstacles are overcome, problems are solved. That's the work of a team principal in Formula 1, especially at a growing team like Aston Martin. Cowell continues: "I love seeing the technology together, whether it’s the mechanical side, the structures, the materials, the electronics, the aerodynamics, the human interaction of a driver in the machine. In qualifying, the pressure of qualifying, the endurance of a race. I love all of that."

At Aston Martin, a new role has been assigned to his duties. After years of working relatively in the background, he is now the face of the organisation as a team principal. Cowell hasn't changed his behavior because of that. "You take the role on, you don't shy away from responsibilities, and you try your best. And you talk openly and honestly without giving secrets away."

"The outward facing bit is a bigger part of the leadership role here compared with the Mercedes. Looking at the number of partners that we've got, 28 partners I believe it is, they're entrusting us with their names and we are striving to make a fast race car so that their names are distributed around the world. But behind that we've got 412 million fans."

Fernando Alonso in the AMR25

Aston Martin aim to dominate Formula 1 for years

According to Cowell, the story that partners and fans hear from Aston Martin is crystal clear: to turn a team that were nearly bankrupt into a powerhouse in the sport, sparing no expense. "The objective is to create a fast race car, that when measured against the other nine race cars in qualifying and in a race, it is the quickest."

"And that's our mission, and to achieve that at 24 races and therefore win the Constructors’ and Drivers' Championship. And not just do it as one year, it's not an investment for one period in time. The investment that Lawrence has put in is there for more than one year."

Striving for perfection is what Cowell does, although he acknowledges that actually achieving that goal is a huge challenge. But, as the Brit says: "If every single department's performance rate improves compared with what we have had, and improves better than our opponents, then our race car will improve quicker than our opponents and we'll overtake our opponents one by one."

"What the other nine teams do is outside of our circle of influence. But, if we do a better job, we'll overtake them and we'll get to the front. And then it gets to the really hard bit where you have to be a pioneering team where you can't look at others. You've got to come up with innovations yourself and I'm a firm believer in having that mentality right from day one. Innovate, deliver performance, every single department, quicker than others, and you will progress better than others, you'll get to the front, you'll stay at the front."

Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll side by side in Bahrain

'Newey and Cardile will feel at home at Aston Martin'

According to Cowell, these are the characteristics that fit the DNA of Aston Martin; being obsessively focused on improvements, innovation, and being the best. There, newly-recruited people like Adrian Newey and Enrico Cardile fit in perfectly, the team principal believes.

"In team sports, it's getting a group of humans to be collaborative, creative, driven, honest, humble, self-aware. And so I believe that both Adrian and Enrico will enjoy the environment. [They] have signed up because of the vision that Lawrence has set and because of what they've heard in conversations about the way we're trying to do it."

With Newey and soon Cardile on board, Aston Martin has made a big leap in terms of personnel reinforcement. With Honda as the engine supplier, the team will also be 'a factory team' from 2026. Choosing the collaboration with Honda over being a customer team of - like now - Mercedes, is not coincidental.

"The majority of the championships are won by works teams, that have got dedicated partnerships and strong infrastructure. Their own wind tunnel simulator, you engineer everything. So partnering with Honda is exceptionally good news. It's a great situation, they're a great organisation to work with."

Andy Cowell in conversation with Fernando Alonso

With Red Bull Racing, Honda had a lot of success, after a difficult period with McLaren. Cowell envisions how he thinks the years with Aston Martin will also be successful. "For me, it involves having an open, transparent way of working. When engineers are working together, regardless of the question, so long as it's pertinent to the topic, then there needs to be a technical answer, there needs to be openness around the table. And that's certainly the way the relationship is working."

"I hope that I can help with the journey and explanation of that, because I'm learning day by day about the world of a race car. The technology, the engineering approach that goes into that. And my previous life in the combustion, big end bearing world of a power unit and the technology and approach there, I can hopefully see it from both sides. I can explain why somebody's proposing something, why are they saying that from their viewpoint, I can explain that to the other people around the table, and can help with that communication which is the key to collaboration."

This interview was written in collaboration with Tim Kraaij.