News Summary
- Alpine has appointed former Mercedes technical chief Mike Elliott as its new Chief Technical Officer.
- Elliott returns to Enstone after previously working there as Principal Aerodynamicist between 2008 and 2012.
- The 52-year-old will oversee Alpine’s technical and engineering functions and begins work next week, ahead of the Azerbaijan GP.
Alpine has announced the appointment of former Mercedes technical chief Mike Elliott as its new Chief Technical Officer, strengthening the team’s engineering structure as it continues its Formula 1 rebuild.
Elliott will start next week, ahead of the Azerbaijan GP in Baku, and has been given responsibility for leading and overseeing the technical and engineering functions at Alpine’s Enstone factory.
The appointment also represents a return to familiar surroundings for the British engineer. Elliott previously worked at Enstone as Principal Aerodynamicist between 2008 and 2012, during the operation’s Renault and Lotus eras, before joining Mercedes.
“I’m delighted to be joining BWT Alpine Formula One Team at such an exciting time in the team’s journey,” Elliott said.
“Returning to Enstone feels very familiar to me and I’m looking forward to working with the talented group of people already at the team.”
Elliott said Alpine has “all the ingredients to be competitive” and that his priority will be helping the organisation maximise those resources.
Elliott returns to F1 after 3 years away
Elliott brings 23 years of Formula 1 experience across McLaren, Renault and Mercedes.
His longest spell came with Mercedes, which he joined in 2012. Elliott initially worked as Head of Aerodynamics before becoming Technology Director in 2017 and Technical Director in 2021. He later moved into the Chief Technical Officer role before leaving the team in late 2023.
His time at Mercedes included the team’s dominant championship era. Alpine highlighted Elliott’s contribution to 8 Constructors’ Championships and 8 Drivers’ Championships during his F1 career.
The later stages of his Mercedes spell were considerably more difficult. Elliott became Technical Director shortly before F1 introduced its ground-effect regulations in 2022, with Mercedes struggling to reproduce its previous competitiveness during the first seasons of that rules cycle.
Mercedes changed its technical structure in 2023, with James Allison returning to the Technical Director position and Elliott becoming CTO. Elliott then left the organisation later that year.
His appointment at Alpine therefore marks his return to Formula 1 after almost 3 years away.
Alpine adds another senior figure to Enstone structure
Elliott arrives as Alpine continues reshaping the management and technical structure around its F1 programme.
Flavio Briatore remains Executive Advisor and oversees the operation, while Steve Nielsen serves as Managing Director and handles the team’s day-to-day running.
Elliott’s responsibilities will be focused on Enstone’s technical and engineering operations.
Alpine described his appointment as part of an effort to strengthen its technical capabilities while building on the progress made during the 2026 season and reducing the gap to F1’s top 4 teams.
The team underwent another fundamental change this year by abandoning Renault power units and becoming a Mercedes customer. Alpine is using Mercedes power units and gearboxes under an agreement running until at least the end of 2030.
The switch has coincided with an improvement after Alpine finished last in the 2025 Constructors’ Championship.
Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto have continued as the team’s race drivers in 2026, while the management structure has been stabilised around Nielsen and Briatore.
Elliott now becomes the latest senior appointment at Enstone, with Alpine confirming that he will begin his new role next week.
Formula 1 returns in Baku for the Azerbaijan GP from September 24-26. The unusual weekend begins with FP1 and FP2 on Thursday before qualifying on Friday and the race on Saturday.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?
Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.
Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?
George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.
Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?
Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.
