Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Mercedes have announced a planned transition of their senior technical leadership ahead of 2019 with Aldo Costa named Technical Advisor and Mark Ellis retiring.
Billed as handing the baton over to the "next generation of leaders within the team for 2019 and beyond", Costa will move into the role of Technical Advisor from the beginning of 2019.
This decision has been made to allow Costa, who joined Mercedes in 2011, to spend more time with his family in Italy.
Chief Designer John Owen (45) will become the senior member of Mercedes' Engineering Group under the leadership of Technical Director James Allison.
"Over the past year, I have worked with Toto and James to develop a long-term succession plan to help the next generation do the job in the best possible way," said Costa.
"I am happy to leave the baton in the capable hands of John and James - and to continue to support the new organisation as a Technical Advisor to ensure it prospers in the future."
In parallel, Performance Director Mark Ellis has decided to retire from his current position and to take a sabbatical beginning mid-2019.
Chief Vehicle Dynamicist Loic Serra (46) will be appointed Performance Director by the end of 2018 and Mark will support this transition until the middle of next year. Loic has worked for Mercedes since 2010.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: "This is a significant moment for our Team and a great opportunity.
"We have said many times that you cannot freeze a successful organisation; it is a dynamic structure and I am proud that we are able to hand the baton smoothly to the next generation of leaders inside the team.
"We have been in discussion for many months with both Mark and Aldo about how best to implement this transition and to empower their successors. They could not be more different personalities but they have both respected that difference and their legacy with Mercedes will stand test of time."
