Mike Elliott departs Mercedes after 11 years

Mercedes chief technical officer Mike Elliott has departed the Formula 1 team after 11 successful seasons, the team announced on Tuesday.

Elliott joined Mercedes in 2012 as head of aerodynamics and went on to play a key role in the team's record-breaking dominance of the turbo hybrid era alongside technical director James Allison.

Elliott's current contract was set to expire at the end of 2022.

He relinquished the technical director position to Allison earlier this year in an organizational shuffle, prompting speculation about his future.

The team has now confirmed Elliott is leaving to take a break and contemplate his next move in motorsport.

He will serve out a gardening leave period before deciding on his future plans.

Championing Mercedes' hybrid era supremacy

Elliott was integral in ushering in Mercedes' unprecedented run of success following the regulation overhaul in 2014.

Under his technical leadership, the team clinched eight consecutive constructors' championships from 2014 to 2021.

This included seven straight drivers' titles for Lewis Hamilton from 2014 to 2020.

Elliott helped optimize the team's power unit and aerodynamic philosophy to capitalize on the new V6 turbo hybrid engines.

The team dominated the field with its class-leading PU and aero innovations like the zero-pod nose in 2014.

Elliott also oversaw continuous refinements over the years to stay ahead of rivals.

Speaking about his departure, Elliott reflected proudly on Mercedes' achievements: "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."

Navigating recent adversity

While Mercedes struggled with porpoising issues in the 2022 season, Elliott helped lead the technical response.

As he noted, "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."

Under intense competition from Red Bull and Ferrari this year, Elliott worked to develop Mercedes' technical strategy for the future.

He departs having guided the team through recent adversity and laid the groundwork to reclaim dominance in the upcoming seasons.

Praise from Wolff

Team principal Toto Wolff paid tribute to Elliott's immense contributions over the past decade:

"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."

Wolff thanked Elliott for his commitment and expertise, wishing him the very best for the future.

Elliott now embarks on a new chapter in his career after dedicating over two decades to Formula 1.

His technical leadership was integral in cementing Mercedes' reputation as the most successful team of the modern era.