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After his role swap with Mike Elliott, James Allison says they both “reckon that we would be able to cover the ground better with him doing my old role and me doing his old role”.
Shockwaves were sent through the Formula 1 media when Mercedes announced they decided to return the team’s Chief Technical Officer James Allison to his previous position of Technical Director, while TD Mike Elliot assumed the CTO role.
The decision was especially surprising since it was only two years earlier that Allison decided to step away from his TD role to become the team’s CTO, while Technology Director Mike Elliott got promoted to Allison’s former position.
Well, after the swap was announced, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff explained that Elliott and Allison themselves suggested that the switch be made.
When asked about this, Allison explained how they came to that decision.
“Well, because, between the pair of us, we reckon that we would be able to cover the ground better with him doing my old role and me doing his old role.
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“We’ve both got certain skills, and after a couple of years of trying it that way around, I think a sober reflection of what we’re both good at, meant that it would be a little more powerful swapping around.
Since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend marked the first time that Allison had to return to the paddock in a full-time role, he was asked how it felt to be back.
“Well, just being back at the racetrack is a lot of fun,” the Briton said.
“I’ve not been here for ages and, it is a place that is always fun to be at. It was fun getting on the plane to come out here, because you sit in the queue to get your check-in ticket and stuff and you see a whole heap of faces you haven’t seen for ages in all different teams.
“And that’s a pleasure as well, because there is a certain sort of family feeling to being around the paddock. So yeah, lots of fun coming back.”
When Allison assumed the role of CTO back in 2021, his new position meant that he stopped having day-to-day duties when it comes to the design of Mercedes’ F1 cars, while his influence expanded to the team’s applied science division.
He also became INEOS Britannia sailing team’s Chief Technical Officer, as they prepared to challenge for the America’s Cup.
Since he is now again fully committed to Mercedes’ F1 car, Allison was asked if he will still be able to participate in INEOS’s project.
“I’ve still got a small involvement in the boat project,” he explained.
“And something which a TD would ordinarily not have the space for, but the fact that Mike and I are sharing work between us – him looking more at the long term, me fighting in the season – actually gives me a slightly smaller space than a traditional TD has to work in.
“It gives me a little bit of room to keep some continuity with a project that I put some effort into previously,” Allison concluded.
