Mercedes’ new technical director James Allison says the team isn’t about to embark on a total change of design for its next Formula 1 car following his return as technical.
The Mercedes team recently confirmed Allison, who was previously the team’s technical director before swapping roles with chief technical officer Elliott, would return to their previous roles. The move sees Allison return to trackside with the team, while Elliott will be based at Mercedes’ Brackley factory.
Speaking ahead of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Allison said Mercedes’ shake-up of the technical team would allow both him and Elliott to work more to their own natural strengths.
“Between the pair of us, we reckon that we would be able to cover the ground better with him doing my role and me doing his old role,” Allison explained. “We’ve both got certain skills and after a couple of years of trying it that way round, I think a sober reflection of what we’re both good at meant that it would be a little more powerful swapping around.”
Mercedes’ move follows a disappointing start to the 2023 season with the team’s W14 car failing to match the dominant Red Bulls at the front of the field. Asked if his influence over the team’s performance would not be felt until the 2024 season and their next chassis, Allison insisted that the team would see benefit from the reshuffle in the short term.
“I think that sort of question is often asked in one form or another and – forgive me – it betrays a certain lack of understanding of how how our factories – the grids’ factories – work,” Allison said.
“It’s many hundreds of people – a thousand-plus people in some cases. You don’t have one person’s hand on a car, it’s just not how it works at all. Each person puts their shoulder to the wheel. And if the whole place is well set up and well organised, that wheel turns more and more effectively. Even the great Adrian Newey would probably tell you that, if you pinned him down hard enough.
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“It is a very big team effort and when I say that Mike and I would be slightly stronger as a pairing the other way round, it means that we’re able to put our respective shoulders to the wheel slightly more effectively and help it turn just a little bit faster.
“I hope that shoulder that I’m placing on that wheel will help from this point forward…
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