Chief technical officer Mike Elliot leaving Mercedes

Mercedes have parted company with technical chief Mike Elliott following the team’s failure to win a single race this season.

James Allison returned as Mercedes’ technical director just three races into the new season – with Elliott moving into the chief technical officer role.

Although Mercedes said the job swap was Elliott’s decision, the announcement arrived after Lewis Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff criticised the design philosophy of this year’s car on the eve of the curtain raiser in Bahrain on March 5th.

The Silver Arrows, who claimed a record eight consecutive constructors’ championships and carried Hamilton to six world titles, have won only one race in the past two years.

And ahead of this weekend’s round in Brazil – with only races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi to follow this year – Mercedes said Elliott is departing the team.

“Mike has been one of the pillars of the team’s achievements over the past decade,” said Wolff. “It’s with truly mixed feelings that we say goodbye to him today.

“Mike is a fiercely intelligent technical brain and a great team player. He has made a strong contribution not just to winning racing cars but also to building the culture of our team.

“But on the other side, it’s clear that he’s ready for new adventures beyond Mercedes – so I know this is the right step for him to take, too.

“He leaves the team today with our thanks for the effort, commitment and expertise he has brought to the team over the past 11 years and our very best wishes for the future.”

Hamilton finished a distant runner-up to Verstappen in Mexico last weekend, with the Dutchman winning a record 16 of the 19 races so far in his all-conquering Red Bull machine.

It is nearly two years since Hamilton, who will