Alpine has announced the recruitment of former Mercedes‑Formula 1 design chief Mike Elliott as its new chief technical officer (CTO). The move, confirmed by both BBC Sport and Sky Sports, signals the French team’s intent to accelerate its development programme ahead of the 2025 season.
Elliott spent more than a decade at Mercedes, rising to the role of design boss under the leadership of James Allison and later overseeing the design of the dominant W13 that powered Lewis Hamilton to his seventh world title. His experience in building a championship‑winning car is expected to help Alpine narrow the performance gap that has left the team trailing behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes in recent years.
Alpine’s technical director, Pat Fry, will now work alongside Elliott, with the two expected to integrate Alpine’s existing design philosophy with the data‑driven, aerodynamic expertise that characterised Mercedes’ recent dominance. The French outfit has struggled with aerodynamic inefficiencies and tyre degradation, issues that Elliott’s background in high‑performance aerodynamics could directly address.
For Indian fans, the appointment is noteworthy because Alpine’s 2024 race schedule includes three Indian‑friendly time slots: the Bahrain Grand Prix (02:00 IST), the Australian Grand Prix (04:30 IST) and the United States Grand Prix (20:30 IST). All three races will be streamed live on FanCode, allowing viewers to track how the new technical leadership translates into on‑track performance. If Alpine can close the gap to the front‑runners, the team could become a regular contender for podiums, adding more excitement for the growing Indian F1 audience.
Alpine has not disclosed the length or financial terms of Elliott’s contract, but the appointment is expected to take effect immediately, with Elliott joining the technical team at the start of the 2024 pre‑season testing period in Bahrain. The team’s principal, Otmar Szafnauer, described the hire as “a pivotal step in our journey to become a consistent front‑running outfit.”
Source: BBC Sport
