“A Lot of My Friends Think I’m Mad”- Ex-Mercedes Engine Chief Andy Cowell Opens Up on His Exit

The success of Mercedes AMG in Formula 1 in the last decade has been staggering. While Lewis Hamilton is the man behind the wheel, Andy Cowell is the force behind the engines.

The Managing Director of Mercedes AMG’s High-Performance Powertrains has been phenomenal in devising an engine suited for success. However, the man decided to step down from his duties and noticed the Mercedes group this January.

“It’s time for a change, Mercedes is a company that I’m hugely proud to have worked for. The people here are an incredible group of people and I’ll miss them” he states.

“Project Pitlane helped confirm that my decision was the correct one I handed my notice in January and Project Pitlane popped up in March. A lot of my friends, and especially my Mum, think I’m as mad as a box of frogs to hand my notice in.”

The V6 turbo hybrid power unit, which is synonymous with Mercedes’ successful stint for almost a decade, came to life under his critical supervision. Joining Mercedes in the year 2004, it has been a successful 16 years of service with the Silver Arrows.

However, he looks ahead in life and bids goodbye to Mercedes. He looks forward to more challenges, having quenched his thirst in stimulating the Silver Arrows to be a brute force.

Working towards a better tomorrow for the common public, Cowell decided to join the Project Pitlane initiative.

“Project Pitlane was a ‘go and have a go at something different’ that lit the bonfire in my belly and got my head thinking every second of the day about CPAPs [continuous positive airway pressure machines] and about anything else that Project Pitlane was working on, and that’s the challenge that I want going forward,” said Cowell.

“I’m not 100% certain yet, but hopefully it will give me a nice big challenge, and hopefully I can help companies and organizations and, ultimately, people,” he adds.

The run of Mercedes and what lies ahead

Mercedes is running for the seventh consecutive double World Championship this year. Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have been propelling Mercedes to new heights. Their dynastic reign over the Formula 1 paddock could not have been possible without their entire crew.

However, with the main man behind the heart of the machine gone, it is to be seen how Mercedes fares on the track. The 2021 season will be a glimpse of how the Brackley-based outfit deal with this predicament.

Although Mercedes possess a legion of talented engineers and technicians, Cowell’s expertise in the field will undoubtedly be missed.