Mercedes has confirmed chief technical officer Mike Elliott has left the team with which he won 14 world titles.
Elliott assumed the CTO role with Mercedes in April after effectively swapping jobs with James Allison, from whom he’d taken on the technical director role from in 2021.
Following a difficult 2022 campaign and slow start to the current season, the job swap was, according to Mercedes, an acknowledgement and redeployment of the strengths of both individuals.
The switch coincided with an upturn in the team’s fortunes, with an upgrade introduced for the Monaco Grand Prix in late May – developments that were in train prior to the swap.
“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to be part of this Mercedes team,” Elliott said.
“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.
“I have decided that now is the right time to make my next step beyond Mercedes – first to pause and take stock, after 23 years of working flat-out in this sport, and then to find my next challenge.
“I would like to thank my team-mates for a fantastic 12 seasons together and wish them every success for the years to come.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff added: “Mike has been one of the pillars of the team’s achievements over the past decade, and it’s with truly mixed feelings that we say goodbye to him today.
“Mike is a fiercely intelligent technical brain and a great team player; he has made a strong contribution not just to winning racing cars but also to building the culture of our team.
“But on the other side, it’s clear that he’s ready for new adventures beyond Mercedes – so I know this is the right step for him to take, too.
“He leaves the team today with our thanks for the effort, commitment, and expertise he has brought to the team over the past 11 years – and our very best wishes for the future.”
Elliott entered F1 with McLaren as an aerodynamicist in 2000.
He became head of aerodynamics with Mercedes and then technical director after joining in 2012, and was part of the team that delivered seven-successive world championships for Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg from 2014.
