“Change is not trivial”: Fernando Alonso’s F1 team boss opens up on AMR’s vision beyond 2026

Aston Martin F1 team boss Andy Cowell has opened up on the changes that have continued to herald the Silverstone-based team. The 56-year-old, who is also team principal to Fernando Alonso, detailed how the changes that the outfit has continued to undergo are far from being "trivial".

Cowell, who joined the Aston Martin team as group CEO in July 2024, witnessed his involvement with the Formula 1 arm of the outfit increase when he was appointed team principal of the outfit ahead of the commencement 2025 season. In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365, the British motorsports chief highlighted how the changes that the team has continued to undergo are part of its long-term goals and not solely tied to the sweeping changes set to herald Formula 1 in 2026.

“Change is not trivial,” Cowell said. “We're going racing, we're engineering a car for next year, adding change on top of that is extra workload. Making change requires extra effort. There are always hurdles. There's always a feeling of, ‘do we really need to?’ and it's just leaning into that.”

“It’s leaning into that and keeping the medium to long-term focus, because it’s not just about 2026. It’s the first season of us being a works team. But there are many more championships after that point, and we want to be strong across all of those.”

The Aston Martin team, which currently has both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll driving for them, recently launched a new team complex in Silverstone. The British Racing Green outfit has also completed the construction of its new wind tunnel, which is expected to be instrumental towards the development of its 2026 challenger.

Fernando Alonso’s F1 boss praises Lawrence Stroll’s input to the Aston Martin team

Fernando Alonso’s team boss, Andy Cowell, also praised the impact of team owner Lawrence Stroll. The team principal highlighted the impact of the Aston Martin owner on the recent development the team has undergone.

Stroll Sr, who led a consortium to purchase the then Racing Point team in 2018, has largely seen it transition from a racing outfit wallowing in financial challenges to one that has continued to attract the biggest names in Formula 1. Sharing his thoughts on the Canadian motorsports chief's input, Cowell stated:

“That’s where Lawrence is exceptionally good at having that vision and investing further for the medium to long-term," Cowell mentioned while speaking with RacingNews365.

“You don't invest in a wind tunnel if it's short-term. You don't invest in the campus that we've experienced if you’re there for the short term. Lawrence gives a very clear vision. We're all impatient, but the investment supports a medium to long-term approach.”

Since Lawrence Stroll purchased the Aston Martin outfit, the 66-year-old has attracted several high-profile names across motorsports, including former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. Stroll also facilitated the signing of Cowell, who had spent a huge part of his career in motorsports with the Mercedes team.