Tom McCullough is set to depart Aston Martin at the conclusion of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The engineer has spent over a decade with the Silverstone-based operation, serving through its Force India, Racing Point, and Aston Martin iterations.
Reports indicate that Red Bull is targeting McCullough for a new Head of Race Engineering position. This potential move follows his confirmed departure from Aston Martin later this year.
McCullough previously held the role of Performance Director for Aston Martin. A management restructure in early 2025 saw his trackside duties transferred to Mike Krack, who became Chief Trackside Officer.
Following this restructure, McCullough shifted his focus to Aston Martin’s Performance Technologies ventures, overseeing various motorsport projects outside of the core F1 team. His next professional role has not yet been announced.
The reported interest from Red Bull comes as Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer and Red Bull’s current Head of Race Engineering, is expected to leave for McLaren by 2028.
Red Bull has undergone several organisational changes within its technical department this season. These adjustments include promotions for Ben Waterhouse to Chief Performance and Design Engineer and the hiring of Andrea Landi as Head of Performance.
Earlier this year, in January 2026, Dan Fallows returned to the Red Bull family, joining Racing Bulls as their new Technical Director. Fallows, who previously worked at Red Bull, commenced his role at Racing Bulls in April 2026.
At Aston Martin, Adrian Newey assumed the role of Team Principal and Managing Technical Partner for the 2026 season. He officially started with the team in March 2025.
Aston Martin’s 2026 season has been challenging, with the AMR26 car experiencing performance issues. The team continues to introduce technical updates to improve its on-track competitiveness.
