It was announced last week that Mercedes’s Technical Director Allison will take on a newly created position as Technical Director starting July 1st. This change has been interpreted by some observers as a possible first step for the former Lotus and Ferrari engineer, who will eventually become the overall leader of the team.
Wolff will keep the main task of the team for the foreseeable future after exploring his possibilities last year. The Austrian has made it clear that he will step aside at some point, but when speaking on Saturday after qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he insisted that the job would not go to Allison.
“I would say if you look at things, he would be perfectly capable of being the team principal,” said Wolff of Allison. “And the people here too, there is so much respect [for him] within the organization.
“But it’s very simple. He said, ‘Never, never would I do that. The team boss requires different skills.’ And so he said: ‘No thanks.’ “
“James and I speak several times a day. And we are fully aligned with the strategic direction of Mercedes Motorsport and Mercedes Grand Prix.
“We decided on the CTO role so much earlier than before – it must be a year or two ago – we discussed the future of the team’s lead role in Mercedes.
“And he made it very clear that it wasn’t for him. And since then I’ve obviously been thinking and watching and watching what’s going on out there and who’s doing a good job. So finally I can step back from this madness!”
Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, pours champagne over James Allison at the 2019 US GP
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Wolff emphasized that Allison is the ideal man for the new CTO role and that Mike Elliott – his successor as technical director – will also be a good fit.
“James is obviously a great addition to the team, not just as a brilliant engineer but also as a leader,” said Wolff. “And he has a good understanding and understanding of what’s going on in F1 beyond the technical area.
“He’s a sparring partner for me when it comes to strategic and political discussions, and he’s also involved in the other departments and racing programs we have.
“And that’s why it was almost a logical step to take my technical twin brother, I’m also the head of Mercedes Motorsport. That is why it makes sense to have a technical director for all motorsport programs.
“So if you see, I’m the CEO and he’s the CTO, and for him, he liked the idea. So we worked on it for a year.
“On the other hand, Mike Elliott, who had just joined me, came from Renault and was the head of Aero there, and I’ve had a great relationship with him over the years.
“He is an extremely competent, intelligent, and intellectual engineer who is a fundamental pillar of the team’s success and is recognized by the entire organization.
“So I’m really happy that he has become technical director. But still we have such a solid group there that he is part of a group that will lead the team in the future.”
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