Allison announced at Mercedes

In a not exactly unexpected move, James Allison will be joining Mercedes as technical director next month.

Allison’s new role with the Formula One constructors champions will be as technical director, a new role within the team, but for all intents and purposes he is a direct replacement for former executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe.

Lowe was placed on gardening leave in January by Mercedes ahead of an expected switch to Williams.

Allison will join in March after leaving Ferrari in July.

He will head a team made up of Aldo Costa (engineering director), Mark Ellis (performance director), Rob Thomas (chief operating officer) and Geoff Willis (technology director) and will report directly to Mercedes chief Toto Wolff.

‘I am very excited to be getting back to work after this time away from the sport,’ he told Sky Sports.

‘It’s a massive privilege to be given the trust of a position in a team that has done so spectacularly well in the past three seasons. I am really looking forward to playing my part in helping Mercedes go from strength to strength in the coming years.’

Wolff added: ‘Our technical team is extremely skilled at every level and at the top of its game after delivering three world championships in a row. It wasn’t an easy task to find the right personality who can strengthen our experienced group of engineers, give our talented young team members the space to develop and also bring his own vision to this role.

‘James is a sharp engineer; I think we have found the perfect guy and the right fit with our senior leaders.’