Mercedes’ James Allison is to step aside from this role as technical director as par🎃t of a succession plan aimed at focusing on Formula 1’s next e꧂ra.

From 1 July, Allison 🃏will take a step back from day-to-day operations of the F1 technical department to move into a newly-created role as chief technical officer in what Mercedes has described as an “evolution of its technical leadersh💙ip structure”.

Allison, who has held the technical director position since his arrival in 2017, will instead by tasked with ensuring Mercedes is ready for the “strategic cha🌞llenges” of sweeping technical and sporting regulation changes coming into effect in 2022.

Mercedes will subsequently promote its current technology director Mike Elliot to the role of technical direc🉐tor of the F1 t🌟eam.

"I firmly believe that people have a shelf life in senior roles in this sport, and꧃ I have chosen to step away from my role as Technical Director in order to pass on the baton at the right time for the organisation and myself,” Allison explained.

“I have enjoyed four and a half wonderful years as Technical Director, and it has been a special privilege to lead the technical effort𒆙 of the team in that time. It is a great pleasure to be succeeded by Mike, an exceptional engineer in a tremendously strong group of senior leade🎃rs in the team.

“We will benefit from the freshness ꦯthat he will bring to the role - and I hope I can continue to make a useful contribution across a new sphere of activity in my role as CTO, with a focus on increasing our capability across the board and supporting Toto with the major strategic challenges we face in the near future.”

Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff p🎐raised the “enormous contribution” Allison has made in his position in helping the German manufacturer continue its unbeaten run of success in the V6 era.

“We have known for a while that his time as Technical Director would be coming to an end this year and I am delighted🅺 that we have been able to shape this new role to keep him within our motorsport family,” Wolff said.

“He will be an important sparring partner for me in the next years and I know that we still have much to aꦰchieve together. We often say tha♋t the organisation is a dynamic organism, and that we need to adapt continuously if we want to truly thrive.

“Effective succession planning has been a strength of our te🔯am, so I am delighted to announce Mike in his new role as Technical Director🅰.”

Elliot began his F1 career 📖at McLaren in 2000 and later worked at Renault before joining Mercedes in 2012 when he took on the role of head of aerodynamics. Since 2017, he has acted as the team’s technology director.

Elliot acknowledged he has “big shoes to 𝔉fill” replacing Alli𝓡son.

”It has been a great p♑leasure and privilege to work for James earlier in my career at Renault, and for the past four years at Mercedes,” he added.

“His track record in the sport speaks for itself, and he has been a fantastic team-mate and leader for me during that time. They are big shoes to fill and I am delighted that we will be able to call on his expertise i🐷n his new role as CTO.

“On a pers🀅onal level, it is an amazing opportunity to become Technical Director of a team like Mercedes, and I must thank Toto and our company for trusting me to make the step up to this new role.

“It is aꦺn incredible privilege to be part of this team and I know that the leadership strength at every level through the company will be vital to our future succes🍌s.

“I can't wait to get started and to tackle the many exciting te🧸chn🐲ical challenges ahead of us in the next months and years."