Mercedes confirm team structure change

Mercedes has stated it has implemented a restructuring as it bids to improve its on-track results.

The German manufacturer endured a difficult opening two seasons under the new technical regulations introduced in 2022, but has enjoyed a more competitive time of late.

Mercedes has won three of the last four races as it has successfully upgraded its car to run consistently towards the front of the grid.

As it continues to leave behind the demons that plagued it throughout 2022 and 2023, the Brackley-based sees no end in sight to its development push.

“You’d obviously like to be quicker,” Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin told a small group of select media including RacingNews365.

“That situation, though, presents challenges both on the technical and the development side. You need to understand the problem and try and find resolutions quickly that will bring performance.

“It also creates a challenge for everyone at the factory, who are all working just as hard whether you’re winning or running near the back. The workload doesn’t change.”

Maintaining a high level of motivation is a challenge Mercedes is also looking at as new regulations beckon for 2026, which has seen the team implement internal changes.

“Keeping everyone motivated and reassuring them that we have got a direction to get back towards winning ways is one of the key things, but it’s a situation that you just have to deal with,” Shovlin said.

“I think we’ve done a good job of maximising the learning from the opportunity. Simultaneous with that, we’re restructuring the organisation to try and give us the best technical team and group functions to take us into the future.

“All you can do is try and make the most of the situation that’s in front of you and it’s been a good recovery. But, hopefully, we’ll build on this base rather than take a step back.”

Splitting focus on F1 projects

Mercedes has faced a series of key departures from the team in recent years, including high-profile names such as Lewis Hamilton and James Vowles.

However, it has retained the services of Toto Wolff and James Allison on long-term deals as it looks to the new set of technical regulations in 2026.

“Elements like with Loic Serra (Mercedes performance director) leaving the team and going to Ferrari, we've had to restructure the vehicle dynamics group,” Shovlin said when asked to expand on how the team has changed.

“That was using an internal hire but that's working well, that group is now functioning. They’re coming up with a lot of ideas. But you're always looking at how the groups function, and how you want to manage those different resources.

“And one of the things on our radar is in 2026, we've got a very, very different car, a very, very different power unit to the one that we've got now.”

With focus now being placed on both the 2025 and 2026 cars, Shovlin detailed a new team formation was required. 

“Simultaneously, we need to be developing a 2026 car and a 2025 car," he said. "So then you're looking at, 'Who do we have focusing on which car? How do we want the groups to be structured to be able to provide the resources to those two different projects?'

“When I say restructure, it isn't that we're changing one person in a role thinking that they're just going to be better than the person before them. 

“It's more that the whole management of those different functions is being revisited with a view to that future challenge and how we can develop more effectively in the future.”