Mercedes to be "well served" under new technical leadership - James Allison

Mercedes

Mercedes to be "well served" under new technical leadership - Allison

Allison has officially moved aside as technical director, with Mike Elliott taking over

Ewan Gale

Thursday 1 July 2021 12:44

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Mercedes chief technical officer James Allison has called his handover period to new technical director Mike Elliott a "strange experience" but has insisted the team will be "well served" under new leadership.

As of July 1, Allison has relinquished his technical director role after four-and-a-half seasons in the job just as Mercedes has become embroiled in a close fight with Red Bull for the F1 title.

Speaking to the F1 Nation podcast about the handover, Allison said: "I've got very mixed feelings about it.

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"This is by far and away the best, most exciting and most fulfilling job I have had over the arc of my career and I have loved every moment of being technical director here over the four seasons prior and the half-season so far.

"So voluntarily deciding to hand that on to a successor is a strange experience because it is not normal to walk away from the thing you love."

But on Elliott taking over, he added: "[Mike] is going to bring to it vigour and dedication that I am sure is going to see the team very well served. His standard of engineering judgement and his values and behaviours as a leader are top drawer.

"There is a great deal of pleasure to see Mike have his chance and to know the team is going to be well served under him and a great deal of pleasure to know the handover is happening in a nice, organised way and where I can feel I am stepping away from the team in good shape - stepping away from the technical directing that is.

"As I do so, I can turn my thoughts to my new challenge, to my new role, where I hope to continue to be helpful and useful but where the nature of the role will be less immediate, less visceral than the role of technical director."

Allison to start new role fully in January 2022

Despite officially now serving as CTO, Allison explained the handover period will continue throughout the season with the full switch to the new role coming into effect ahead of next season.

"Mike has already been doing loads for some time and I have been helping him see the sort of rhythm of my job and I will continue to be a support to him, I hope, so it is not a sort of cliff-edge thing in any case," explained Allison.

"The sort of proper, proper new job role will probably be more January next year and the remainder of this year will be more of a gradual sliding transition from supporting Mike to fully focusing on the new role as the season rolls on."