© Daimler AG
Mercedes Technical Director James Allison talks about his transition into a newly created Chief Technical Officer role.
Mercedes recently announced that this July the team’s current technology director Mike Elliot would be assuming the role of technical director, while James Allison would move into a newly created Chief Technical Officer role. Allison reveals how the whole move came about.
“It was merely a question of organising the timing of that in a way that would allow it to be something where the company could grow in strength as a result of handing over to a really, really strong engineer in Mike Elliott,” the Briton explained.
“And to do so in a way that allowed the company to attack the championships without missing a step.
“It was a long time ago that I reached that in my own head, and then it takes a while to sort of get the building blocks in place to make it a reality.”
Allison says he was thinking about stepping away from his current role with the team for some time.
“I would much rather that that was done when I was still useful, than becoming an old sort of embarrassment.
“That was playing on my mind and also the period for which I was really comfortable and confident to commit for as technical director is what you’ve seen.
“And we have been collectively working to make sure that the transition from me to Mike would be a success and would give the company all the benefits that come from the vigour of a new set of hands in charge.
“It’s not just the opportunity for Mike that that produces, but there’s a sort of ripple effect through the company as a result. And it generally is a very healthy thing for a team.”
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The Briton at first thought about leaving the team altogether, before team boss Toto Wolff suggested a different arrangement.
“When I felt that this was the right thing for me and the best thing for the team to step away, I very much thought that I would be stepping away to my sofa to cheer the team from the sidelines as a punter.
“I didn’t imagine that there would be a space for me in the team, having relinquished this brilliant job.
“Happily, Toto saw it a little differently. And between us we worked on the manner in which I could contribute to the team.”
However, Allison admits the decision to leave his current position wasn’t an easy one to make.
“I know that it’s the right thing to do but a huge part of me is screaming at me, ‘What on earth are you doing?!’, it’s a brilliant job.
“But it is definitely the right thing for me and it’s definitely the right thing for the team. And the second of those two is the more important.
“But I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to look back on this gilded period that I’ve been lucky enough to have late in my F1 career and just think how lucky I was to fall in with this group of people at this time, and be the technical director in what is arguably the most successful and amazing Formula 1 team that has ever been,” concluded the Briton.
