So, there’s been talk about Mike Elliott, the ex-chief tech guy at Mercedes, getting the blame for that ‘zero-pod’ concept that didn’t quite hit the mark. Lewis Hamilton’s putting his foot down on that one. Elliott took over as Mercedes’ tech director when F1 rolled into the ground-effect aerodynamics scene in 2022, bringing in the sleek ‘zero-pod’ design that had everyone doing double takes.
But here’s the twist – it didn’t exactly work out. Only snagged one win towards the end of 2022, and Hamilton wasn’t shy about griping. He claims he warned them about the car issues, but they didn’t pay much attention. So, they kissed the ‘zero-pod’ goodbye at Monaco this year, opting for something a bit chunkier that, surprise surprise, worked better.
Now, with Elliott heading out the door this week after being moved around in the tech director role earlier, folks are saying he was the guy fighting for the ‘zero-pod.’ Hamilton’s having none of it. He’s saying decisions are a team effort, not just one person’s call.
Expressing some sadness about Elliott leaving, Hamilton’s giving props to their long friendship, especially back in the McLaren days. He’s praising Elliott’s brainpower, especially when it comes to all that aerodynamics talk. In Hamilton’s book, Elliott’s exit marks the end of an 11-year ride, from chief aerodynamicist to tech director, shaping some of Mercedes’ best years.
