Long-time Lewis Hamilton ally Mike Elliott in shock Mercedes exit
One of Lewis Hamilton’s longest-serving allies, Mercedes’ chief technical officer Mike Elliott, has left the team with immediate effect.
Elliott, 49, was working for McLaren as an aerodynamicist when Hamilton entered Formula One in 2007. He joined Mercedes as head of aerodynamics in 2012 following a spell with Renault/Lotus.
After working his way up the ranks at Brackley, Elliott succeeded James Allison as technical director in 2021.
However, a disastrous 2022 season was followed by a terrible start to 2023. That convinced the team to switch things around again in April of this year, with Allison returning as technical director and Elliott replacing him as chief technical officer.
At the time, the reshuffle was painted as playing to Elliott’s strengths, allowing him to focus on creating a new technical structure. However, after just six months in the role the Englishman has announced his intention to leave.
Elliott told factory staff on Monday evening and is now expected to serve a period of gardening leave before he decides what is next for his career.
In a statement, he said he wanted to take some time away from F1, “after 23 years of working flat-out in this sport”.
“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to be part of this Mercedes team,” Elliott added. “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.”
Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, paid tribute to Elliott, describing him as “fiercely intelligent” and “one of the pillars” of the team’s success.
There are three races remaining this season, starting in Brazil this weekend.
