After 11 years of work, and 12 seasons spent together, Mercedes will lose one of its most trusted men. The star team has in fact announced, to everyone's surprise, the departure of its Chief Technical Officer, Mike Elliott is resigning and after a period of gardening he will be able to, is preparing to join other teams, with a considerable wealth of experience, and knowledge. The news of his departure came via a press release official of Mercedes, The decision, taken by Elliott, It arrives after two difficult seasons for the Brackley team struggling with two cars below expectations.
Mercedes is going through a difficult period of transition, especially with regards to the definition of next technical cycles. The last two seasons have been somewhat disappointing on that front. The biggest disappointments came from the two projects, that of the W13 and the W14. Single-seaters born with the new regulation which had less luck than their older sisters and forced the team to do some recovery work during the season.
Saying goodbye after 11 years
Elliott began his Formula 1 career with McLaren back in 2000 as an aerodynamicist, playing for several teams before joining Mercedes in 2012 as head of aerodynamics. In 2021, he was promoted to technical director, a role he held until the beginning of this year, when, thanks to a W14 far from expectations, due to insisting on the zero-pod concept, he exchanged positions with James Allison to become Chief Technical Officer (CTO). The greatest satisfactions for Elliott and for Mercedes came with the arrival of the turbo-hybrid era. His contract was expiring, and the fact that he stepped away from the technical director role in a job swap with James Allison earlier this year influenced the decision to move on.
Mike Elliott, resignation arrives: "I have seen Mercedes grow, proud to have contributed to the 8 titles"
“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to be part of the Mercedes team,” Elliott explained. During my time there, I've seen it grow from a group of people coming together to win races, then a first championship, to winning a record eight consecutive constructors' championships. – and I am proud to have contributed to that journey."
“While the last two seasons have not seen us win races in the way we aspire to, they have challenged us in many other ways and forced us to question our fundamental assumptions about how to deliver performance. Over the last six months , I enjoyed developing the technical strategy that we hope will provide the foundation for the team's next cycle of success. I have decided that now is the right time to take my next step beyond Mercedes: first to stop and take stock, after 23 years of all-round work in the sport, and then to find my next challenge.
“I would like to thank my teammates for a fantastic 12 seasons together and wish them every success in the years to come.”
Greetings from Toto Wolff
Toto wolff, Team Principal Mercedes joined in the greetings by praising Elliott's contribution to the team over the years.
"Mike has been one of the pillars of the team's successes over the last decade and it is with truly mixed feelings that we say goodbye to him today. Mike is an extremely intelligent technical mind and a great team man; he has made a strong contribution not only to our victories, but also to building our team culture. But on the other hand, it is clear that he is ready for new adventures outside of Mercedes, so I know that this is the right step for him to take too. He leaves the team today with our thanks for the efforts, commitment and expertise that he has brought to the team over the last 11 years and with our best wishes for the future."
After this news, the world of Formula 1 is waiting to see what Elliott and Mercedes' next steps will be. His vast experience and reputation precede him. For several years the teams have been exchanging resources by searching for them on the market. Some are more valuable than others, but all are extremely valuable. Such an important name on the market could arouse the interest of several teams. We'll see if we find him wearing other colors. First, however, he will have to observe a stop period, namely gardening.
