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Aston Martin F1 appoints Bob Bell as executive director-technical

Aston Martin has announced that former Renault and Alpine man Bob Bell has joined the Silverstone-based outfit as its new executive director-technical, a new role that further strengthens the outfit’s senior leadership group.

A veteran F1 engineer who first made his name with McLaren in the early 1980s, Bell enjoyed successive stints with Benetton and Jordan before moving back to Enstone and to the renamed Renault team.

The Briton later spent three years as technical director at Mercedes during the inception of the hybrid era before once again returning to Renault in 2016 as the outfit’s chief technical officer.

In 2018, Bell moved into an advisory role with the team where he remained until recently as part of Alpine's F1 technical structure.

At Aston Martin, Bell will have overall responsibility for the F1 outfit’s Technical, Engineering and Performance functions, sharing his wealth of experience accumulated during his distinguished career.

“I am delighted to welcome Bob Bell to Aston Martin Aramco,” commented Aston team principal Mike Krack.

“This is a key appointment to ensure we are optimising everything we do as a team and focusing on the right performance areas.

“Bob’s track record in the sport speaks for itself and his experience will help us continue to make steps forward on the exciting journey we are on.”

Upon his appointment, Bell expressed his enthusiasm for Aston’s progress in recent years.

“The opportunity to play my part in that journey is incredibly exciting and I look forward to working with the great technical leaders at Silverstone,” he said.

“The scale and ambition of this project is highly motivating. I am a racer, and I see the hunger and determination powering this team. I look forward to playing my part with Mike and the rest of the team.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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