Mercedes chief leaves F1 team effective immediately after years of loyal service

Mike Elliott, Chief Technical Officer at Mercedes' Formula One team, has chosen to leave the team. The head of the German F1 team announces that he is leaving of his own accord.

Elliott to leave Mercedes with immediate effect

Mercedes announced Tuesday that Elliott is leaving the team effective immediately in exchange for a new challenge in motorsports. Elliott made his decision known to his team on Monday evening and will presumably enter a period of "gardening leave," as is customary in the sport. As such, he may not join a rival F1 team for the time being.

Elliott spent 11 years working for the German racing stable under the leadership of Toto Wolff. The 49-year-old Briton took over as technical director in 2021 from James Allison, who stepped down. However, the two switched roles again when Mercedes decided to bring Allison back earlier this year. Elliott was named chief technical officer. His contract was due to expire after the 2023 F1 season, but the technical head has decided to leave effective immediately.

Wolff reacts to Elliott's departure

"Mike has been one of the pillars of the team’s achievements over the past decade," Wolff said in a statement. "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."

He continued: "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 leaves Mercedes with mixed feelings

For Elliott, turning his back on his team was certainly not an easy move: "It has been one of the great privileges of my career to be part of this Mercedes team. 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."

He continued: "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."