A major change has been made at the Mercedes Formula 1 team, with James Allison returning to the position of technical director.
Less than two years ago, Allison departed the role and took up the job as Chief Technical Officer, while Mike Elliott was ushered into the technical director position.
Mercedes is looking to return to the front of the grid, having won just a single grand prix since the start of the 2022 season.
Its dip in form follows a stretch of success that saw it win eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships – a period in which Allison contributed massively as he spearheaded the design of several cars.
But after a difficult start to the 2023 season, Mercedes has made the change that sees Allison return to his old job while Elliott has moved to the CTO role.
“This was very much driven by Mike Elliott owning the process,” Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff told Autosport.
“So, we have reversed the roles. Mike has moved up to CTO, as he has a brilliant switched-on scientific mind. And James Allison has returned to his technical director position, reporting in to Mike.”
Mercedes has confirmed that it will go in a different direction with its car concept going forward, with Wolff declaring earlier this year that the current design wouldn’t be enough to bring it back to the head of the field.
03.03.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 1, Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir, Bahrain, Practice Day
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With Allison now looking after the construction and development of the car, Wolff explained that Elliott concluded that his skills weren’t suited to the technical director role.
“What Mike’s assessment was, and the introspection is really admirable, is that with James we have a gladiator on the field and the troops are going to go through the fire for him and with him,” Wolff said.
“Mike came to the conclusion that the way he approaches things, his skill set, is best utilised in developing the organisation going forward: from technical capabilities to human capabilities and putting together the structure that can be successful for many years to come.”
Allison originally joined Mercedes from Ferrari in 2017 and boasts over 30 years of experience working in F1.
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