The team, consisting of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll as drivers, announced today that Bob Bell has been appointed to a new role within the Silverstone-based team. In his new position, Bell will report to Team Principal Mike Krack and will be responsible for overseeing the Technical, Engineering, and Performance functions. This appointment further strengthens the senior leadership group as the team continues to strive towards becoming true contenders in the world of Formula 1. With an extensive career in motorsport spanning over four decades, Bell brings a wealth of Formula 1 experience from his previous roles at McLaren, Renault, and Mercedes GP.
Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s team principal, expressed his delight in welcoming Bob Bell to the team, emphasizing the importance of this appointment in optimizing the team’s performance. Krack believes that Bell’s impressive track record in the sport will contribute to the team’s continued progress on their exciting journey. Bell himself is thrilled to be joining Aston Martin Aramco, acknowledging the progress the team has made in recent years. He is motivated by the scale and ambition of the project and looks forward to working alongside the talented technical leaders at Silverstone.
Starting his F1 career with McLaren in 1982, the 65-year-old Briton has had a diverse range of experiences in the sport. He moved to Benetton in 1997 before joining Jordan in 1999. In 2001, Bell became a part of Renault, where he served as their technical director during their successful period in 2005 and 2006, with Fernando Alonso securing two F1 titles for the team. Following the Singapore Grand Prix Crashgate scandal involving Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, Bell remained with Renault until 2011, after which he joined Mercedes as their technical director. He eventually resigned at the end of the 2014 F1 season.
Subsequently, Bell had brief stints with Marussia in 2015 and returned to Renault as a technical boss from 2016 to 2018 before stepping down. Despite stepping away from a full-time role, he continued to work as a part-time consultant for the team until Aston Martin presented him with an opportunity to be a part of their journey.