Andy Cowell departing Mercedes

Andy Cowell the Managing Director of the Mercedes F1 Powertrain division is leaving Mercedes in July. Cowell was a major figure in the bringing about of the awesome beast of an engine that powered Mercedes to six constructors and driver F1 world titles in the hybrid era. He leaves behind some very big shoes to fill by his successor.

https://e2.365dm.com/20/06/768x432/s...20200615163209

Apparently, Mercedes is reshuffling its management structure. When a massive change like this happens within a team, lots of questions pops into ones head.

Like Where to next for the Mercedes man? I can imagine Ferrari would be wringing their fingers thinking what a great addition he would be to their outfit. If l was team boss at Renault, l would certainly be on the phone to him immediately with a handsome package.

What is the effectve impact on Mercedes to lose such a personnel of Cowel's stature? I am sure they have very capable people to step in and keep the operation going at its usual high standard. But there has to be some level of transition phase where everyone is trying to re-adjust to the new state of affairs. I think doing this in troubled season such as this, is the ideal time for this sort of change.

But the true test is whether the engine continues to be on par with the Ferrari engine. Is this a sign of a change at the front? I doubt it.

Joe Saward has written a very good piece on Cowell's future and has named Aston Martin as the most logical destination for him: https://www.motorsportweek.com/2020/...-in-f1-saward/