Red Bull Racing's team principal has expressed his desire to have recruited Andy Cowell, the esteemed former Mercedes engine expert.
A fortnight earlier, Aston Martin made a significant acquisition by appointing Cowell, who led Mercedes' highly successful F1 engine department until 2020, as the successor to Martin Whitmarsh in the role of Group CEO.
"Together with our works partnership with Honda, the commitment from our title partner Aramco and Andy's leadership, we are on track to become a world championship winning team," stated team proprietor Lawrence Stroll.
Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull's senior F1 team, is somewhat comforted by the fact that Cowell will not oversee an engine manufacturer, especially as the crucial 2026 regulations are set to commence.
"His role at Aston Martin is not engine-related," remarked Horner, who is at the helm of the Milton-Keynes based squad that is currently developing its own 2026 engine initiative with Ford.
"Andy Cowell is a great guy," Horner was cited by the Dutch outlet Formule 1. "He's a very strong engineer and he's done a great job with the Mercedes engine program. He was really the backbone of that project."
Cowell exited Mercedes in mid-2020, and Horner noted that he "spent some time outside the sport."
"I think every engine manufacturer spoke to him during that period," Horner further mentioned. "But we are happy with our current lineup."