F1 News
Was Mike Elliott snatched away from Mercedes by one of these F1 teams?
- Estéban den Toom
Mike Elliott has stepped down from his role as CTO at Mercedes. He has chosen to leave the German constructor. For 11 years the Briton was employed by Mercedes, but now he has chosen to quit the team himself. Elliott became technical director to replace James Allison in 2021, but this year the two switched roles again when the team brought Allison back.
Back in March this year, Elliott was reportedly in the kicking seat at Mercedes' team. He was someone held responsible for the then dramatic performances of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in their W14. With Mercedes' chief technical officer gone, the question quickly bubbled up: which Formula 1 teams are still looking for a technical director to join their formation?
Ferrari, Williams, Alpine or perhaps Andretti?
One constructor where Elliott could work would be Ferrari, for example. Since the departure of former team boss Mattia Binotto, Ferrari were without a technical director for a while. As for Ferrari, the chassis is reported to Enrico Cardile. This Italian was labelled technical director by Fred Vasseur, but it does not seem illogical that the Italian Scuderia is looking for a 'real' technical director.
James Vowles had long been looking for a new technical director for Williams, where he took on the role of team boss in early 2023. Recently, Pat Fry was appointed chief technical officer, but it is not out of the question that the Grove-based team is also looking for someone for the role of technical director. Alpine appointed Matt Harman as technical director earlier this year but is still looking for a sporting director to replace Alan Permane.
Should Andretti enter the premier class of motorsport, the Americans will also need a technical director. Perhaps this will be an option for Elliott. That Andretti will enter Formula 1 is not at all certain yet, but the first steps towards a licence have been taken by the constructor.