2025 Aston Martin | Aramco F1 Team

[Alo_Fan]

Cowell's long term position was never supposed to be the team principal role in my opinion, and I think what is being reported is that he would work in a role to help work closely with Honda.

[krich]

I don’t see anything wrong with this change ??

Cowell to the PU department where he has expertise
Horner to TP
Newey wherever he wants

[krich]

Cowell's long term position was never supposed to be the team principal role in my opinion, and I think what is being reported is that he would work in a role to help work closely with Honda.

Exactly my thoughts

[Alo_Fan]

I don’t see anything wrong with this change ??

Cowell to the PU department where he has expertise
Horner to TP
Newey wherever he wants

Apparently Horner and Newey have fixed their relationship, I'm curious at how Alonso and Horner would get on, as Horner always had an appreciation of him. Would be fascinating to watch if Alonso has a genuine title charge next year, having Horner and Newey behind him.

[diffuser]

Cowell left because he felt he was being undermined by Newey? This team is such a shitshow.

I am sickened that Alonso's alleged last year is going to be spent with a team in political turmoil.

Where is the turmoil? If Newey says "your gone"... they are gone...done.

[AR3-GP]

I don’t see anything wrong with this change ??

Cowell to the PU department where he has expertise
Horner to TP
Newey wherever he wants

Apparently Horner and Newey have fixed their relationship, I'm curious at how Alonso and Horner would get on, as Horner always had an appreciation of him. Would be fascinating to watch if Alonso has a genuine title charge next year, having Horner and Newey behind him.

The difference is that Newey would be Horner's boss and not the other way around. Then Newey doesn't care who he works with as long as they serve his purposes. If Horner becomes disposable to him, Newey will throw him out just as quickly as he entered.

[diffuser]

I don’t see anything wrong with this change ??

Cowell to the PU department where he has expertise
Horner to TP
Newey wherever he wants

Either you believe in Newey's vision or you don't. Hard to find fault with moving Cowell to PU integration.

[Nikosar]

Perhaps Cowell's position as TP was only temporary to fill reshuffle with Krack.

[peewon]

I was not that bothered by the sackings from the Aero department as they were pre Newey hires and thats his area of expertise. Fact they are firing Cowell basically 10 months after making him team principal suggests that things may not be on the right path given that his expected role in PU development.

I don't think he was involved in the development of the PU with Honda

I dont mean directly as an engineer. He had traveled personally to Japan multiple times to liaison with the Honda team. A lot of directions for them were communicated by Cowell. Given his background, he would absolutely be focused on overseeing that aspect of the team apart from his broader responsibilities.

Its being reported that he had some disagreements with Newey. If he leaves, it seems kinda strange that it would escalate to this level. Although, there is some speculation now that he would just be moved to head the engine department.

[Nikosar]

I was not that bothered by the sackings from the Aero department as they were pre Newey hires and thats his area of expertise. Fact they are firing Cowell basically 10 months after making him team principal suggests that things may not be on the right path given that his expected role in PU development.

I don't think he was involved in the development of the PU with Honda

I dont mean directly as an engineer. He had traveled personally to Japan multiple times to liaison with the Honda team. A lot of directions for them were communicated by Cowell. Given his background, he would absolutely be focused on overseeing that aspect of the team apart from his broader responsibilities.

Its being reported that he had some disagreements with Newey. If he leaves, it seems kinda strange that it would escalate to this level. Although, there is some speculation now that he would just be moved to head the engine department.

I don't think it is a disagreements issue cause up to seven people have been removed or reassigned.

Strange cause few days ago Cowell, denied any concrete plans for new TP: “I can clearly say there are no plans for involvement of Christian either in an operational or investment role.”

We will see

[vorticism]

I never got the impression there was enmity between Horner and Newey. They built an empire together with Dietrich. Horner to AMR-Honda has been occasionally guessed at all year, and it all seemed unrealistic or wishful. If this happens it would tell us something about the management crisis that occurred at RBR, or RB in general. Sacking a team principal with 8 titles to his name was insane. Is RBR without Horner, Newey, and Mateschitz still RB? Not RB-Renault, nor RB-Honda, at least. Moving into the RB-Ford era now.

And what is going on with the RB17? (Keep reading...) Haven’t heard much about it for a year. Maybe a Newey-Horner reunion could poach old RBAT colleagues to work on a Valkyrie II. Would be nice to see a Porsche return which would grant them RBR, RBPT, and Verstappen. Porsche-Ford would be about as congruent as Aston Martin-Honda. Otherwise maybe Ford goes for larger stakes. RBPT as a sort of Ford HPP. In which case... The RB17 has become... The new GT40? Which is to be debuting in January alongside the RB22... In which case it would have the 15k RPM Cosworth V10? RB40! My rampant speculation now concludes.

[SealTheRealDeal]

I think my main worry in all this is that Newey's position as Managing Technical Partner has recreated the "Two Popes" issue that Szafnauer had complained of, where his ability to lead the team as CEO and Team Principle was undermined by the existence of a parallel authority with overlapping jurisdictions ("Group CEO" Martin Whitmarsh).

[Otromundo]

I never got the impression there was enmity between Horner and Newey. They built an empire together with Dietrich. Horner to AMR-Honda has been occasionally guessed at all year, and it all seemed unrealistic or wishful. If this happens it would tell us something about the management crisis that occurred at RBR, or RB in general. Sacking a team principal with 8 titles to his name was insane. Is RBR without Horner, Newey, and Mateschitz still RB? Not RB-Renault, nor RB-Honda, at least. Moving into the RB-Ford era now.

And what is going on with the RB17? (Keep reading...) Haven’t heard much about it for a year. Maybe a Newey-Horner reunion could poach old RBAT colleagues to work on a Valkyrie II. Would be nice to see a Porsche return which would grant them RBR, RBPT, and Verstappen. Porsche-Ford would be about as congruent as Aston Martin-Honda. Otherwise maybe Ford goes for larger stakes. RBPT as a sort of Ford HPP. In which case... The RB17 has become... The new GT40? Which is to be debuting in January alongside the RB22... In which case it would have the 15k RPM Cosworth V10? RB40! My rampant speculation now concludes.

Damn, this is one of the densest texts I have ever read. There's enough material for an entire F1 magazine 'as it should be'.

[peewon]

I don't think he was involved in the development of the PU with Honda

I dont mean directly as an engineer. He had traveled personally to Japan multiple times to liaison with the Honda team. A lot of directions for them were communicated by Cowell. Given his background, he would absolutely be focused on overseeing that aspect of the team apart from his broader responsibilities.

Its being reported that he had some disagreements with Newey. If he leaves, it seems kinda strange that it would escalate to this level. Although, there is some speculation now that he would just be moved to head the engine department.

I don't think it is a disagreements issue cause up to seven people have been removed or reassigned.

Strange cause few days ago Cowell, denied any concrete plans for new TP: “I can clearly say there are no plans for involvement of Christian either in an operational or investment role.”

We will see

The 7 people removed/reassigned were from the design department, and regardless, theres no suggestion yet that its related to whatever is happening with Cowell. Cowell was hired before Newey I think. And Newey is still pals with Horner so its quite possible Newey just wants to work with his friend who he trusts and lets him do his thing while taking care of the rest.

[Rikrikrik]

Planet F1 says Cowell and Newey disagree on the car's concept and that's why Cowell is leaving to the engine department. Could be real, OR It's just gossip to destabilize the environment, and that was always the plan and they're getting everything ready for January.