New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS): Mercedes Chief Technical Officer Mike Elliot parted ways with Mercedes after 11 years together. Elliott moved into the role six months ago, swapping positions with now-Technical Director James Allison.
It ends a 23-year tenure in Formula 1 for Elliott, which began as an aerodynamicist from Rnault in 2000 and then saw him fill a series of front-line roles. He progressed through the team as head of aerodynamics, then technology director and Technical Director before taking the CTO role in April.
"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,” said Elliot as quoted by F1.
"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.
“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,” he concluded.
Mercedes team principal 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.
"He 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.
"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.
"He leaves 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."
Mercedes are currently second in the Constructors' Championship, trailing rivals Red Bull by 360 points heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix.