Could Horner replace Cowell at Aston Martin?

      Andy Cowell could soon be removed from the leadership of Aston Martin F1, although the 56-year-old British engineer has headed the team for just over a year. BBC Sport, citing its sources, writes that some disagreements have arisen between Cowell and Adrian Newey, and Lawrence Stroll, the team's owner, has intervened in his own way.

      Although a final decision has not been made, it seems that Cowell will nevertheless be stripped of his positions as team principal and chief executive, though he may remain with Aston Martin in some other capacity.

      Aston Martin F1 declined to comment on the situation, and the press office limited itself to a general statement: "The team is not going to participate in the spread of rumours. All our attention is focused on maximising performance in the remaining races and preparing for 2026."

      There is, of course, no confirmed information about who might replace Cowell, but among the possible candidates is Christian Horner, the former head of Red Bull Racing. He is reportedly doing everything he can not only to obtain the same position at Aston Martin F1 but also to become one of its shareholders.

      It is said that Lawrence Stroll also approached Andreas Seidl, the former head of McLaren, Mattia Binotto, who is leading Audi's Formula 1 project, and Martin Whitmarsh, who left the post of chief executive officer of Aston Martin at the end of 2024.

      However, Whitmarsh refused to return to the team and, at the request of BBC Sport, commented: "I decided to leave Aston Martin back in 2023, and although Lawrence is generous, I no longer want to hold any positions in this team."

      As for the disagreements between Cowell and Newey, they fell out over who is senior. The famed race-car designer, who has in the past won championships with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, is leading the work on the next-generation chassis, and although Cowell is formally higher in rank, Newey clearly has more achievements and is also a shareholder in the team, so he in effect occupies the stronger position.

      That said, Newey left Red Bull Racing precisely because of disagreements with Horner and at one time even said he did not want to be in the same room with him. However, according to rumours, they have already reconciled and last summer attended an Oasis concert together.

      In any case, it is by no means certain that Horner will get the post Cowell currently holds. It is possible that Lawrence Stroll will act differently, deciding that he does not need a manager of that level at all, since in practice he personally resolves most issues in his capacity as chairman of the board of directors and owner of the team.