\n<\/p>\n
Whitmarsh, who was replaced by Cowell last year, was offered his old job back but is said to have refused.<\/p>\n
Whitmarsh told BBC Sport: “I decided to leave Aston Martin in 2023 and, whilst Lawrence has been very generous, I no longer wanted a role in the team.”<\/p>\n
The rupture has been caused by a disagreement between Cowell and Newey over who is in charge.<\/p>\n
Newey, an F1 design legend and winner of 12 constructors’ and 13 drivers’ world titles with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, is leading work on the team’s 2026 car.<\/p>\n
Cowell as CEO is supposed to oversee the team but Newey’s status, both in terms of his record, and as a shareholder and the team’s biggest earner by far, is inevitably in a more powerful position.<\/p>\n
Newey left Red Bull specifically because he had fallen out with Horner as a consequence of the allegations of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour made against Horner by a female employee.<\/p>\n
Horner was cleared of the charges by two separate internal investigations, but the allegations led to major internal ruptures within Red Bull, who also suffered a decline in performance.<\/p>\n
With no sign of an improvement in the internal tensions or performance, Red Bull removed Horner after the British Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
In September, the two parties reached a settlement that saw Horner receive a pay-off worth 60m euros (\u00a353m).<\/p>\n
At the time of his departure, Newey told colleagues he did not want to be in the same room as Horner, a Red Bull source told BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
But there is said to have been a rapprochement between the two and in the summer they attended an Oasis concert together.<\/p>\n
However, it is far from certain that Horner will secure a role at Aston Martin.<\/p>\n
It may be that Stroll decides he does not need a full-time figure of such high profile, given he is de facto team principal as the overall authority and owner.<\/p>\n
And Seidl, said by some sources to be the favourite for the role, would be a far less controversial appointment.<\/p>\n
Stroll, however, is said to care only about the team’s success, and especially providing a competitive car for his son Lance, one of their drivers. Anything else is of less importance to him.<\/p>\n
Cowell would be the fourth senior leader to leave his role at Aston Martin.<\/p>\n
Otmar Szafnauer resigned in early 2022 and was replaced by Mike Krack, who was demoted to chief engineer after Cowell took on his role.<\/p>\n
The team are also going through a major technical restructure with seven senior design engineers leaving their roles earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The team are hoping for a leap forward in competitiveness next year, when new rules could shake up the grid and they become Honda’s engine partner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n