Tom McCullough is set to leave Aston Martin at the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The engineer has spent more than a decade with the Silverstone organisation.
His service covered the Force India, Racing Point and Aston Martin names. McCullough held race engineering and performance posts at Formula 1 events before moving into wider leadership.
McCullough built his career in race engineering
McCullough entered Formula 1 with Williams in 2002. He began as a data engineer and later became a race engineer for several drivers. His Williams period included work with Nico Hulkenberg, Rubens Barrichello and Bruno Senna. The role required him to connect driver feedback with the information collected from the car. He joined Sauber as head of track engineering in 2013. The role gave him responsibility for a larger part of the race operation.
McCullough then returned to Britain and joined Force India. He led engineering work at races while the team scored regular points on a smaller budget. Force India finished fourth in the constructors’ championship in consecutive seasons. The results came through reliable weekends and steady development rather than one isolated success. That period established McCullough as a central figure inside the team. He remained when ownership and identity changed around the same technical base.
Racing Point delivered a first victory in 2020
The organisation later competed as Racing Point. Its 2020 season produced a first Grand Prix victory and another fourth place in the championship. Sergio Perez won the Sakhir Grand Prix after dropping to the back on the opening lap. The result became the team’s clearest reward during the Racing Point period. McCullough’s responsibilities covered performance at the circuit. That work included planning sessions, understanding tyres and helping engineers turn factory preparation into race results.
The job changed as the organisation grew. A larger team brought more specialists, more data and a wider chain of technical decisions. Aston Martin entered Formula 1 under its current name in 2021. McCullough continued as performance director while the company expanded its Silverstone facilities. His long service gave the team continuity through several ownership structures. Few senior staff members experienced every stage of that transition.
A 2025 restructure moved his duties to Mike Krack
Aston Martin changed its senior structure at the start of 2025. McCullough moved away from the Formula 1 project into a broader leadership role. The new position focused on the expansion of other racing categories inside the business. Mike Krack took over McCullough’s main Formula 1 duties as chief trackside officer. The change separated daily race engineering from the wider company programme. It also came during a period of rapid recruitment at Aston Martin.
Adrian Newey now holds the roles of team principal and managing technical partner. Enrico Cardile and other senior engineers have also joined the technical organisation. McCullough’s departure follows that gradual change in responsibility. His next professional role has not been announced. He remains with Aston Martin until the current season ends. The timing gives both sides a defined finish to a relationship that began under the Force India name.
Aston Martin has started to improve its difficult AMR26
Aston Martin reached the summer break at the bottom of the teams’ championship. Reliability and performance problems shaped much of the opening half. The team introduced a revised AMR26 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The new version moved the cars closer to the midfield after several difficult races. More chassis developments are planned for Monza and Baku. Honda is also preparing an upgraded power unit for the first race after the break.
Those programmes continue under the current technical leadership. McCullough is no longer responsible for the trackside work that will evaluate the changes. His record remains connected to earlier high points at Silverstone. The consecutive fourth places and the Racing Point victory came during his long tenure. Aston Martin will complete the season with McCullough still inside the wider organisation. His departure will close a career chapter that lasted through three team names.
His Silverstone career covered three team identities
McCullough joined the Silverstone operation when it competed as Force India. The same base later housed Racing Point and Aston Martin. Staff continuity connected those changes in name and ownership. Force India finished fourth in the constructors’ table in two consecutive seasons. The team achieved those positions with fewer resources than several direct rivals. McCullough held a senior engineering role during that period. Racing Point won the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix with Sergio Perez. Aston Martin then returned as a Formula 1 constructor in 2021. McCullough remained through each transition.
His departure ends a long period at Silverstone. The engineer worked with several driver pairings and different technical leaders. He also experienced major changes in regulations. Aston Martin has confirmed when the relationship will end. The remaining season still gives both sides time to complete current work before the final departure.
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