New Aston Martin F1 team boss Andy Cowell may have solved the problem that has stalled the development of green single-seaters for the past two seasons.
This is the opinion of Jefferson Slack (pictured above), the commercial director of the team owned by Lawrence Stroll which has struggled to progress since the start of 2023 despite enormous investments.
Aston Martin F1 has installed former Mercedes F1 engine boss Andy Cowell as its new team boss, replacing Mike Krack who now becomes “track director”, a sporting director position of sorts but with no role to play. the factory.
Slack, who began his career managing Michael Jordan's marketing activities before moving into European soccer, says it's all part of a new approach by the team.
“I'm not a Formula 1 guy, and I'm certainly not a technical person. I only met Andy a few months ago, but I can tell you I'm very impressed.”
“He has the technical knowledge, he has the human element, he has the leadership, he is decisive, but he is also very fair and I think that is absolutely fundamental for our future.”
Slack says it was also Cowell's decision to ensure that the arrival of Enrico Cardile (ex Ferrari) will see him lead the car's development from the Silverstone factory, with much less presence on the Grands Price.
-“I think the changes he made weren't just spontaneous changes, they were made after studying what would make us a more effective team. That's not my area, but what I understand , is that we haven't been very good at developing the car over the last few seasons.”
“Part of that could be because the people who were going to the 24 races were technically, in theory, also responsible for developing the car, and that's really hard to do and I think other teams have structured in the way Andy set up.”
“How do you get a group of people who are on this incredible campus that we've chosen to focus on the long-term development of the car, while they're also going to the 24 races? How can they then manage everything else on the track?
“I think it makes a lot of sense, when you put it like that, but Andy didn't just impose it when he started. He took the time to understand, and I think that was the natural evolution of the company as we have grown as a team.”
