Aston Martin announces signing of former McLaren head Martin Whitmarsh

Martin Whitmarsh announced as Group Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Performance Technologies on Tuesday morning by Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll.

Aston martin released an official statement confirming the appointment of former McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh as group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies. Whitmarsh will directly report to Executive chairman Lawrence Stroll.

What is Aston Martin Performance Technologies ?

Aston Martin Performance Technologies will encompass the brand’s Formula One activities and will also develop, apply and take to market the Group’s technical capabilities and intellectual property, with the aim of providing best-in-class innovation, engineering, testing and manufacturing services across a variety of key industry sectors.

Whitmarsh career in brief

Whitmarsh is best known to motorsport insiders, media and fans for his long and successful period at McLaren, for which he worked for 25 years (1989-2014) in various senior positions including Group Chief Executive Officer and Formula One Team Principal for six years (2008-2014).

Under his leadership McLaren diversified its business activities beyond its core activity of Formula One, launching McLaren Automotive and McLaren Applied Technologies. 

Whitmarsh played a senior and leading role in the winning of more than 100 Formula One Grands Prix and multiple Formula One World Championships, and was at the centre of the development of several Formula One World Champions, including Lewis Hamilton. Whitmarsh was also Chairman of the Formula One Teams’ Association for four years (2009-2013).

Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin Lagonda and Aston Martin F1: 

“I am very pleased to announce that Martin [Whitmarsh] will be joining us as Group Chief Executive Officer of the new Aston Martin Performance Technologies, from October 1st 2021. 

“Martin will enjoy senior leadership responsibility and will assist and support me in setting the new strategic direction for Aston Martin Performance Technologies and its subsidiaries, including the crucial objective of leading the transformation of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team into a Formula One World Championship-winning organisation within the next four to five years, and evolving it into a £1 billion business over a similar time period. 

“Martin has enjoyed a long, successful and high-profile career, spanning the motorsport, automotive, aerospace, marine and renewable-energy sectors.

“Moreover, he is a proven winner in Formula One. He is therefore the ideal person for the job of working with me and our senior management team to lead and inspire our workforce to future success both on and off track.”