How the layoff brought lasting benefits to the Mercedes F1 tech assistant

Air command was a concept that shaped James Allison’s life from the start – his father, Sir John Allison, was a fighter pilot and later a commander in chief of RAF Strike Command, as well as a passionate restorer and classic car driver. So it’s no wonder that an early life surrounded by aviation and the works of automotive pioneers led Allison on to a career in Formula 1, initially as an aerodynamicist. But you will see another thread run through this story: the sense of duty exercised by those who grew up in and around the armed forces.

Allison’s career spanned steep ups and harrowing lows – and as he moves into the next phase in his new role as Mercedes’ chief technical officer, he is ready to tell GP Racing all about it …