Allison's view on Mercedes: 'Starting again not a good plan'

James Allison chimed in at the press conference after the first free practice session in Baku. Mercedes' new technical director had plenty to say.

Allison is happy to see back on the paddock. "you see a whole heap of faces you haven't seen for ages in all different teams, and that's a pleasure as well because there is a certain family feeling to being around the paddock" the Brit states. Allison explains why he switched roles with close colleague Mike Elliott. "Well, because between the pair of us we reckon that we would be able to cover the ground better with him doing my old role and me doing his old role. We've both got certain skills and after a couple of years of trying it that way around, I think a sober reflection of what we're both good at meant that it would be a little more powerful swapping around.

'This car can win races'

It is difficult for the brand-new technical director to say where Mercedes stands now. "A little hard to know because if you go off Melbourne, I think we were arguably the second quickest car there, but if you look at Bahrain, we were fourth quickest. I think we're on an improving trend, but the tracks are quite different in the opening phase of this year, and it's a little too early to tell." But the German racing stable will never be satisfied with second place. The people from Brackley want to win races. Can they do that with the current W14? Allison is hopeful:"Yes, why not?"

Where Toto Wolff repeatedly told him he wants to completely shake up the W14, his colleague doesn't think so. "I don't think any of us would ever consider a wholesale revamp, clean sheet, a good or prosperous approach. If the rules change, then, of course, you have to change with them. But engineering is about iteration."

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