Mercedes director on what question 'betrays a certain lack of understanding' in the F1 media

Mercedes director James Allison feels that alluding a car's performance characteristics to a single individual by the F1 media shows a certain lack of understanding.

Allison had taken a step back from the day to day commitments at Mercedes in the last couple of years and Mike Elliot had taken his place. However, with the new regulations, the German team has been unable to replicate its former success.

In what appeared like a senior management reshuffle, James Allison found his way back to the technical director role. However, in all of this, many feel that Allison's impact on the Mercedes car would not be felt until the next season.

When questioned about it in Baku, the former Ferrari as well as Renault aero chief took umbrage to it and felt that the repeated question from the media was an indication of a lack of understanding of how the F1 team works. He said:

"I think that sort of question is often asked in one form or another, and it betrays – forgive me – it betrays a certain lack of understanding of how our factories actually work. I mean, our factories, the grid’s factories. It's many hundreds of people, a thousand-plus people in some cases. You don't have one person's hand on a car, it's just not how it works at all."

He added:

"Each person puts their shoulder to the wheel, and if the whole place is well set-up and well organized, that wheel turns more and more effectively. Even the great Adrian Newey would probably tell you that if you pinned him down hard enough. It is a very big team effort."

---

Allison touches on why the switch made sense for Mercedes

Explaining further, Allison explained further that the pairing of him and Mike Elliot make better sense in the new roles that the two have now as he said:

"And when I say that Mike and I would be slightly stronger, as a pairing, the other way around, it means that we're able to put our respective shoulders to that wheel slightly more effectively, and help it turn just a little bit faster."

"I hope that that shoulder that I'm placing on that wheel will help from this point forward, and not a W14/W15 thing. But it is just a big team effort, the whole thing."

Mercedes are not going through the best of phases right now as the team has been unable to put together a successful or competitive front at the front of the grid. They will be hoping for improvements in the coming races, especially with a shuffle in the management.