have introduced the departure of their long-term chief automobile designer John Owen.
The 52-year-old aerodynamicist, who has been with the workforce since 2007 of their earlier guises as Honda after which Brawn, has been an integral a part of 9 constructors’ championships and eight drivers’ titles during the last 19 years.
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Whereas the 2026 automobile design has lengthy been within the works, with fine-tuning now the primary precedence with three testing home windows forward of the on 8 March, Owen’s exit nonetheless comes as a shock simply six weeks out from the brand new season.
The workforce confirmed that the position shall be crammed internally, with engineering director Giacomo Tortora turning into the workforce’s new director of automobile design, with deputy technical director Simone Resta – previously of Ferrari – overseeing the group.
An announcement learn: “We will affirm that John Owen, our Director of Automotive Design, has determined that now’s the appropriate time to take a break from F1 and that he shall be leaving the workforce later this 12 months to start a interval of gardening go away, after assuring the transition to his successor.
“John has been with our Brackley workforce since 2007 and performed a substantial position in our success.
Mercedes F1 design chief John Owen will go away the workforce later this 12 months (Mercedes Components 1 workforce)
“He has been a key a part of 9 Constructors’ Championships throughout the time he has labored right here and this 12 months’s W17 marks the seventeenth automobile for which he has had total design accountability.
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“We want John all the perfect for the longer term and thank him for the appreciable position he has performed within the workforce’s success.”
Mercedes will reveal the renders of this 12 months’s W17 automobile on Thursday, whereas their official 2026 season launch with drivers and takes place on Monday 2 February.
All 11 groups will participate in a non-public testing session in Barcelona subsequent week.
