Wolff: CTO is kind of a gladiator

One of the news items actively discussed in the paddock was the return of James Ellison to the role of Mercedes technical director. Toto Wolff, head of the concern’s factory team in Stuttgart, explained the essence of these rearrangements on the broadcast of the Sky Sports channel.

Toto Wolff: “We shuffled again so that James Ellison and Mike Elliott were in the most suitable positions for them – sometimes it’s worth making reshuffles like that.

In simple terms, the CTO can be compared to a gladiator fighting alongside his troops on the battlefield, and the CTO observes what is happening on this field, makes strategic decisions and sets the direction for further development. And that’s what Mike is doing now.

The decision on these appointments was made by the team, the riders had no influence on it. In fact, a conversation between James and Mike preceded it, and they decided it would be in the best interest of the entire organization, after which they said, “We’ve thought about everything, but what do you say to this?”

All of this was made possible because James’ personal circumstances had changed, and we thought if he and Mike switched places it would be good for everyone. But if we talk about when the effect of these rearrangements will manifest itself, then it is better to refrain from making predictions.

The upgrade race is already underway and to succeed you need to modify the car faster and more efficiently than Red Bull. To do this, we need to introduce technical innovations, immediately try to understand how they affect W14’s behavior, and then add them steadily. If this succeeds, the team is on the right track.”