Author: Barkha Roy
Mercedes has appointed James Allison as its technical director after a major reorganization amid the team’s disappointing start to the season. James, 55, returns to the position he held before the 2021 season.
Not since the 2022 season has Mercedes started an F1 season with such a poor performance, occupying third place in the constructors’ standings with 56 points, nine behind second-placed Aston Martin and 67 behind Red Bull Racing, which leads the championship.
The team said it was Elliott’s idea to bring Allison back to oversee the design of the car. Having split from Ferrari in the summer of 2016, Allison has led Mercedes’ design group since February 2017. However, following his new role, he relinquished overall control of the car’s design and instead concentrated on strategic issues.
The team was dominant in the sport from 2014 to 2021, a period in which they won eight consecutive championships. However, last season, following the introduction of new technical rules by F1 in an attempt to make the sport more competitive, Mercedes’ dominance ended.
The decision to reinstate Allison as head of the design team is a favorable move, as he is widely respected in Formula 1. In addition, the team reassigned John Owen, the chief designer, who now designs the car.
On the other hand, Owen’s deputy, Giacomo Tortora, was appointed director of engineering to manage the organization of the design office.
Mercedes now hopes that the change in the role of senior management within the team will bring good results in the future. F1 will return to Azerbaijan next weekend after a three-week break following the Australian Grand Prix.