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# Alpine hires ex-Mercedes F1 tech chief
- URL: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/alpine-hires-ex-mercedes-f1-tech-chief/
- Published: 2026-09-17T10:40:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T10:40:24.000Z
- Description: Former Mercedes Formula 1 technical boss Mike Elliott will return to the paddock after a three-year absence as Alpine's new chief technical officer
- Author: Matt Beer
- Tags: Formula 1, #mercedes, #alpine, #primary_homepage_feature

Former Mercedes Formula 1 technical boss Mike Elliott will return to the paddock after a three-year absence as Alpine's new chief technical officer.

Alpine said Elliott, who had a previous stint at the team as principal aerodynamicist in its Renault/Lotus iterations from 2008 to 2012, will "lead and oversee the technical and engineering functions at the team's factory at Enstone".

Elliott joined Mercedes when he previously left Enstone and was a key part of Mercedes' technical team through its domination of the late 2010s.

But his time in charge of it coincided with Mercedes' slump in the 2022 rules era.

He succeeded James Allison as technical director going into those regulations, but the 'no sidepod' design concept created under Elliott's leadership was problematic and Mercedes fell from fighting for titles to just occasional race wins.

Elliott and Allison swapped roles back in early 2023 after Mercedes failed to make the hoped-for gains that winter, with Elliott moving into the chief technical officer role Allison had held and Allison becoming technical director again.

Six months later, Elliott announced that he was leaving Mercedes and taking a break from F1 altogether - a break that's now ended with his Alpine appointment.

Alpine said signing Elliott "strengthens the team's technical capabilities as the team looks to build on the improved performances on track and close the gap to the top four teams", and his chief technical officer title suggests a likely focus on bigger-picture development and future regulations work, while existing executive technical director David Sanchez leads development of the 2026 and '27 cars.