ANDY COWELL – MANAGING DIRECTOR HIGH PERFORMANCE POWERTRAINS
Like Ferrari and Renault, the Mercedes race team builds its engines. Andy Cowell is the man behind the V6 turbo-hybrid. His passion for motor racing grew from competing in hill climbs alongside his father:
“My dad raced when he was at school », remembers the mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Lancaster. “Then, when I was three and my sister was five, he got back into racing and building his own cars in the garage. Every weekend we put the car on the trailer and went racing with friends and family. When I was 17 and had my license, I shared the same car with my dad in hill climbing. My studies followed this path….The day when I beat my dad (we drove the same car, only the number was different), it was a big deal for me…and a little less so for him! When I was a kid I was surrounded by cars – and here I am today!
After 12 years at Cosworth (interrupted by a stint at BMW) Cowell joined Mercedes-Ilmor to work on the V10 and V8s that powered the McLarens. Four years later the collaboration between Brixworth and Brackley began when Mercedes agreed to power what would become Brawn Grand Prix, then the factory team the following season. This article explains why the V6 Mercedes is the best engine inF1.
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