Mercedes drivers don't blame Elliott: 'Never blame one person'

Mike Elliott suddenly left his position as chief technical officer at Mercedes recently. He is pointed out by some as a scapegoat for the team's disappointing performance over the past two Formula 1 seasons, but Lewis Hamilton and George Russell want nothing to do with that.

The former CTO of the German F1 team swapped roles earlier this year with James Allison, who returned to take up the role of technical director again after Elliott took over from him in 2021. Elliott left on his own accord at the end of October at the formation for which he worked for 11 years.

Earlier this year, Hamilton criticised some members of his team for not listening to his concerns, but did not name names. Ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the 38-year-old Briton stressed that Mercedes' problems could not be attributed to "any individual".

Hamilton stressed that criticism was not directed at Elliott

"What we have to remember is nothing is down to one person. We do everything as a team. There are so many moving parts at the factory, so there's not a single individual responsible for where we are, it's a collective," Hamilton said in conversation with Sky Sports.

The seven-time world champion stresses that he is pained to see Elliott leave, but at the same time respects his decision. "It's his decision to move on and do something different. I wish him absolutely all the best and I'm super grateful for all his contributions over these years. I know whatever he's going to do next, he's going to be great because he's a super brain," Hamilton concluded.

Russell: 'Elliott was an important part of the team'

Russell endorses his teammate's words and he too does not hold Elliott responsible for Mercedes' disappointing results since the start of 2022. "It was never one individual who makes or breaks success. It's always a collective. You always have a leader, someone at the helm who steers the ship."

He continued: "As the saying goes 'we win and lose together. Mike has been a huge part of the team and it's very important that we remember he was the chief aerodynamicist during all of the glory years, and arguably, alongside the technical director, that is the most vital part of every F1 team, so Mike has been a huge part of that success and I wish him well."