P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell has highlighted James Allison’s return as Technical Director as a crucial moment which contributed to Mercedes’ turnaround this season in Formula 1. Allison was credited with having an integral part in work on several championship-winning cars that sustained Mercedes‘ previous dominance upon his arrival in 2017. However, Allison elected to scale back his […]
James Allison played a key role in Mercedes’ success upon arriving in 2017, but reduced his involvement in 2021, becoming Chief Technical Officer while Mike Elliott took on the role of Technical Director. Mercedes dominated with their cars until switching to ground effect cars in 2022, leading to a decline and challenges from Red Bull due to design setbacks. Allison returned to his previous role last season, leading a technical team that transformed the W15 car into a race-winning machine in 2024. Drivers like Russell attribute the team’s recent success to Allison’s leadership and experience, which sparked an improvement in performance for Mercedes and McLaren. Despite some initial victories, Mercedes has faced challenges in recent races, struggling to keep up with McLaren and Ferrari, prompting changes to the car design to address concerns. The team’s sporadic podium finishes indicate ongoing efforts to improve and stay competitive in the 2024 F1 season.
