Mercedes has announced that Chief Technical Officer Mike Elliot has stepped down from his position with the team after 11 years.
Just months after taking over as chief technical officer (CTO) in a job swap with James Allison, former Formula One world champions Mercedes announced Mike Elliott’s shock exit on Tuesday.
Elliott was confirmed as technical director in July 2021, while Allison had been promoted to CTO. However, they changed roles in April of last year as a result of Mercedes’s poor season start after a challenging 2022.
Elliott, who had served in the team for 11 years as well as during their record-breaking eight consecutive constructors’ titles, opted for an exit after coming up with a technical strategy for the future, according to Mercedes.
“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to be part of this Mercedes team,” said Elliot.
“During my time, I have seen it grow from a group of people pulling together to win races, then a first championship, to winning a record eight consecutive Constructors Championships. – and I am proud to have made my contribution to that journey.
“Although the last two seasons have not seen us winning races in the manner we aspire to, they have tested us in many other ways – and forced us to question our fundamental assumptions about how we deliver performance.
“During the past six months, I have enjoyed developing the technical strategy that we hope can provide the foundations of the team’s next cycle of success.
“I have decided that now is the right time to make my next step beyond Mercedes – first to pause and take stock, after 23 years of working flat-out in this sport, and then to find my next challenge.
“I would like to thank my team-mates for a fantastic 12 seasons together and wish them every success for the years to come.”
Elliott has worked permanently in primary roles within the world of Formula 1 spanning 23 seasons since joining McLaren in 2000 as an aerodynamicist. He worked as an aerodynamicist at Woking and then as a trackside aerodynamicist just before serving as senior aerodynamicist at Renault/Lotus in 2008.
In 2012, he left Lotus to become Head of Aerodynamics at Mercedes. After that, Elliot received a promotion to the position of Technology Director, which he held until 2021.
“Mike has been one of the pillars of the team’s achievements over the past decade,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff in a statement. “And it’s with truly mixed feelings that we say goodbye to him today.
“Mike is a fiercely intelligent technical brain and a great team-player; he has made a strong contribution not just to winning racing cars but also to building the culture of our team.
“But on the other side, it’s clear that he’s ready for new adventures beyond Mercedes, so I know this is the right step for him to take, too.
“He leaves the team today with our thanks for the effort, commitment, and expertise he has brought to the team over the past 11 years – and our very best wishes for the future.”
With three races left this season, Mercedes is currently in second place in the championship standings, and Lewis Hamilton is in contention for second place behind Verstappen. The Briton is 20 points behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.
