Mercedes has announced that John Owen, its director of car design, will leave the Brackley-based outfit later this year.
Owen has been with the team since it was known as Honda in 2007 but has decided to take a break from Formula 1.
The Silver Arrows have confirmed that Owen will undertake a period of gardening leave once a smooth transition to his successor has taken place.
He played a key role in Mercedes’ nine consecutive constructors’ titles and has been involved in the design and development of the W17—its car for the upcoming 2026 F1 season.
The W17 is the 17th car of Owen’s career for which he has held overall design responsibility, with his role set to be filled in-house.
Upon announcing his upcoming departure, Mercedes confirmed that Owen’s position would be filled through internal promotion.
Current Mercedes engineering director Giacomo Tortora will become the team’s new director of car design, with deputy technical director Simone Resta overseeing the group.
The news comes two days ahead of Mercedes’ W17 livery reveal, with the outfit set to become the fifth team to launch its new design.
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