Mercedes F1 says top designer Owen to leave team

LONDON, Jan 20 : Top designer John Owen will leave the Mercedes Formula One team later this year after being involved with nine championship-winning cars, they said on Tuesday.

Owen joined the Brackley-based team in 2007 when they were competing as Honda.

The team won both titles as Brawn in 2009 and Owen served as chief designer at Mercedes following the German manufacturer's purchase of the team at the end of that year. He has been Director of Car Design since 2023.

Mercedes won eight constructors' titles in succession from 2014 to 2021. Last season, they finished runners-up to McLaren, who also use Mercedes engines.

"We can confirm that John Owen ... has decided that now is the right time to take a break from F1 and that he will be leaving the team later this year to begin a period of gardening leave, after assuring the transition to his successor," the team said in a statement.

Owen has been involved in designing every Mercedes F1 car bar the W196 from 1954, a team spokesman added. This year's W17 will be the 17th car he has had overall responsibility for.

Mercedes said engineering director Giacomo Tortora would take over as Director of Car Design in a group overseen by Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta