F1 World Reacts To Mercedes News: "Must Be In A Bigger Hole Than They Admitted"

Mercedes' news on bringing back James Allison has resonated through the fanbase. This is what they've said.

Autosport recently reported that the Mercedes camp is undergoing a significant change. Rumours that we reported on just a few weeks ago have been confirmed, with the Brackley squad replacing their technical director Mike Elliot with their current chief technical officer (CTO), James Allison, in a move to enhance the development of their W14 contender. Now, the F1 world has had a chance to comment on this change, and some have questioned just how bad things got within the team to warrant such a change. 

Despite only being in the role of CTO for a mere 20 months, Allison has been brought back to his former position as technical director as the Mercedes team struggles to establish a car that can reliably place them at the front of the grid. Last year, they faced the challenge of porpoising due to their focus on the wrong "zeropod" concept. Despite acknowledging their mistake, they are still trailing behind the likes of Aston Martin and Red Bull this year.

Elliot himself recognizes that this change is in the team's best interest. Speaking on the subject, Toto Wolff explained to Autosport, "This was very much driven by Mike Elliott owning the process. So, we have reversed the roles. Mike has moved up to CTO, as he has a brilliant switched-on scientific mind. And James Allison has returned to his technical director position, reporting to Mike."

This move is undoubtedly a bold step in Mercedes' bid to improve their performance on the track, but what do fans of the team have to say? 

THANK GOD!! THE GOAT BACK https://t.co/HiLOTM6Qg9

— kuya dre (@padawandrei) April 21, 2023

Let’s go! Love the fact Merc isn’t standing still waiting the pieces to fall into place, they are making the moves themselves! https://t.co/1VpleyIri4

— StangNando (@StangNando) April 21, 2023

Thank goodness! I love Mike, but it’s been clear for some time that he wasn’t suited to that role. I hope that James doesn’t perceive it as a demotion in any way or Mike sees it as a failure, just that sometimes an individual is best suited doing a particular job. I’m thrilled🥰 https://t.co/BiHbMbRTSK

— Mindy #TeamLH@MVF1 (@MindyMVF1) April 21, 2023

This is huge. The team must be in a bigger hole than they’re publicly admitting to. https://t.co/cptqOCw8DC

— ///Aashiek (@Aashiek) April 21, 2023

me finding out that james allison is back as mercedes technical director pic.twitter.com/U8KOQczlgI

— soph (@sophwebsterxx) April 21, 2023

Here’s your reminder that James Allison built the fastest car in Formula One history 🖤 pic.twitter.com/JI5qtqzTPc

— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) April 21, 2023

Every Mercedes fan seeing James Allison back as the team Formula 1 Technical Director pic.twitter.com/qfSIQF1oN3

— ahmed baokbah 🇸🇦🏎✈️ (@ahmed_baokbah) April 21, 2023