2014 JAMES CLAYTON PRIZE

Andy Cowell CEng FIMechE, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd, is the 2014 winner of the James Clayton Prize, for his outstanding contributions to engine design and development in the Formula One world, especially V10, V8 and the new V6 with Hybrid Energy Recovery System. He has also been recognised for his inspirational leadership at Mercedes-Benz.

His attraction to engineering and cars started while watching and helping his Dad in the garage. “Reverend Barry Whitehead, Alan Staniforth, Ian Scott and my father all sprinted and hill-climbed single-seater racing cars they designed and made themselves, and mentored me as a very young boy right up to the time I was old enough to compete against them,” he remembers. “Alan Staniforth, in particular, inspired me. He participated in hill-climbs for four decades and although he was not a professional engineer, he designed, built and raced his own car to a very high standard and wrote about the experience in his book “High Speed, Low Cost”.  He was a great technology developer, keen competitor and therefore, an ideal motorsport engineer.”

After graduating from Lancaster University, Andy joined Cosworth Racing Ltd on their graduate scheme rotating through the company’s technical departments before specialising in the design and development of Formula One engines.  By 1999, Andy was leading the engine project group responsible for the top end of the innovative CK engine as raced by Stewart Ford.

After a year spent with BMW Motorsport, where he managed the engineering group responsible for the concept and detail of the 2001 engine used by Williams BMW, Andy returned to Cosworth as Principal Engineer for F1 design and development, managing the new engine projects in 2001 and 2003.

Andy joined Mercedes-Ilmor in 2004 as Principal Engineer for the FQ V10 engine project.  He was then Chief Engineer on the V8 project before taking on responsibility for the technical and programme leadership of all engine projects, including the KERS hybrid. Andy was Engineering and Programme Director for Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines from 2008 until 2013, when he became Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd. 

Summarising his engine design work, Andy says: “I’ve specialised in the top end of Formula One engines: valve train, gear drives and cylinder head design.  I particularly enjoyed developing the valve train to run at over 20,000 rpm and designing the cylinder head architecture on the Cosworth 1999 CK engine project.  I enjoyed the performance development journey for the 2007 V8 and the round trip efficiency and minimising mass aspect of KERS for 2009.  The journey of the V6 and ERS from the definition of the regulations to this season’s racing has been immensely satisfying.”


Talking about his leadership style, Andy says: “Ever since 1994 when I was made a senior engineer at Cosworth leading a team of engineers, I’ve enjoyed getting the best out of a team.  Technical development is not a solo game, it is a task of setting a target, presenting a vision of where you want to go with the technical development and including everybody from suppliers, to Build, to Test in that journey.” He clearly finds it extremely exciting to work with talented engineers: “It is rewarding to see a team of people well-motivated, joined up, enthused and amazed when they deliver something they thought impossible.”

Andy regards the Institution very important to engineers: “It helps open the eyes of school children to the job satisfaction that a career in engineering can offer.  It provides a development plan for young graduates coming out of university to become Chartered Engineers. And it also provides a good structure for senior engineers by providing continual professional development.” He has supported Formula Student for many years and is now a sponsor of the event, and regards it as a great place for undergraduates to put their theoretical knowledge into practice, whilst demonstrating the strengths of their personality.

The James Clayton Prize is awarded for contribution to modern engineering science, Andy explains what it means to him: “It was a complete surprise to learn that I had won, and not something I ever imagined I would be awarded with. I was pleased to discover I had been nominated by some of the employees at HPP, so it was especially gratifying to find my leadership style is appreciated.  Looking at the list of previous recipients, it’s humbling to think the IMechE regards me as worthy of being added to such a prestigious list.”

“I’ve had the good fortune to work with some exceptionally talented engineers, both past and at present,” reflects Andy. “It’s exciting to be achieving things in the future that today people believe are impossible.  Engineers have the opportunity to amaze the world.”

Find out more about the James Clayton prize