Wolff hails 'pillar' Elliott after Mercedes departure

Toto Wolff has described Mike Elliott as a "pillar" of Mercedes' success in Formula 1 after it was announced the Chief Technical Officer is leaving the team.

Elliott has stood down from the position he took over from James Allison in spring 2023, with the two swapping jobs as Allison reassumed the Technical Director role Elliott took over in '21.

Under his technical directorship, Mercedes got the 2022 ground effect regulations wrong with the zero sidepod concept for the W13, which it doubled down on with the W14, only to abandon the idea at the start of the season, reverting to a conventional design at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Elliott had been a long-serving member of the aerodynamic team, joining as Head of Aero from Renault in 2012 after starting his career in F1 with McLaren in 2000, before working up to lead the overall technical team.

For this work in helping the team to dominate the turbo hybrid era between 2014 and 2021, winning 15 of the 16 championships, including all eight Constructors' titles, Wolff paid tribute to Elliott.

Wolff reacts to Elliott's departure as Mercedes CTO

"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," Wolff explained.

"Mike 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.

"But 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, too.

"He leaves the team 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."