Wolff rejects claims of Allison’s practical return to Mercedes F1 car design

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has dismissed claims that technical chief James Allison has returned to a more active car design role to rectify the team’s ongoing ground-effect struggles.

After the disappointing start to life for the W14, the car’s successor in 2022, there was speculation that Allison had resumed a more hands-on role at Brackley.

The former Lotus and Ferrari technical chief joined Mercedes in 2017 and after four years at the helm of the design department, stepped down from his day-to-day duties to take up the more general role of chief technical officer.

This revised position has allowed Allison to share her time with other projects, such as the participation of the co-owner of the INEOS team in the America’s Cup sailing competition. Wolff has clarified that this provision has not changed in light of the recent fall of the eight-time constructors’ champion.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, when asked if Allison was taking an active role in the W14 update, Wolff said: “No, he’s not really involved.

“He is involved in the team’s long-term strategy. But he’s doing more activities like the America’s Cup.”

Faced with the suggestion that the team might have been tempted to parachute Allison in to help his successor Mike Elliott, Wolff continued: “He’s not always one person in an organisation.

“But you have to find the right people for the right roles. Sometimes it might mean you’re very competent in one area, but maybe not across the board.

“James, for sure, as a technical director in the past, he has a great track record and is a people person. He’s someone who is still very important to the organization.”

Mercedes’ technical team has been subject to constant rotation throughout their championship-winning pomp.

Notably, Allison’s predecessor Paddy Lowe left to lead Williams, while former aero chief Eric Blandin moved to the in-form Aston Martin in 2021.

Likewise, engineering director (lately team advisor) Aldo Costa left Mercedes to head the technical department at racing carmaker Dallara in early 2020.

Asked about the difficulties of replacing these spearheads, Wolff said: “People like Aldo, you can never replace.

“But you have to find within the structure, divide the work into a few others.

“Aldo [was] very good at structuring his succession too, it’s not something that happened overnight.

“Basically we had two and a half years of advanced notice that it would go. He shaped the department in his sense.”