F1: Mercedes make a change as chief technical officer Mike Elliot leaves

James Allison returned as Mercedes' technical director just three races into the new season - with Elliott moving into the chief technical officer role.

Although Mercedes said the job swap was Elliott's decision, the announcement arrived after Lewis Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff criticised the design philosophy of this year's car on the eve of the curtain raiser in Bahrain on March 5.

The Silver Arrows, who claimed a record eight consecutive constructors' championships and carried Hamilton to six world titles, have won only one race in the past two years.

And ahead of this weekend's round in Brazil - with only races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi to follow this year - Mercedes said Elliott is departing the team.

"Mike has been one of the pillars of the team's achievements over the past decade," said Wolff. "It's with truly mixed feelings that we say goodbye to him today.

"Mike is a fiercely intelligent technical brain and a great team player. He has made a strong contribution not just to winning racing cars but also to building the culture of our team.

"But on the other side, it's clear that he's ready for new adventures beyond Mercedes - so I know this is the right step for him to take, too.

"He leaves the team today with our thanks for the effort, commitment and expertise he has brought to the team over the past 11 years and our very best wishes for the future."

Hamilton finished a distant runner-up to Verstappen in Mexico last weekend, with the Dutchman winning a record 16 of the 19 races so far in his all-conquering Red Bull machine.

It is nearly two years since Hamilton, who will remain alongside George Russell at Mercedes until at least the end of 2025, won a race.

Elliott, who is now set for a period of gardening leave, said: "Although the last two seasons have not seen us winning races in the manner we aspire to, they have tested us in many other ways - and forced us to question our fundamental assumptions about how we deliver performance.

"During the past six months, I have enjoyed developing the technical strategy that we hope can provide the foundations of the team's next cycle of success.

"I have decided that now is the right time to make my next step beyond Mercedes - first to pause and take stock, after 23 years of working flat-out in this sport, and then to find my next challenge."

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