Mercedes has confirmed that John Owen, their long-serving Director of Car Design, will depart the team later this year.
Owen joined the Brackley-based outfit in 2007, back when it operated under the Honda name, and stayed on through the Brawn GP era, during which the team famously secured both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships in 2009. The squad became Mercedes in 2010 and went on to achieve eight consecutive Teams’ Championships and seven Drivers’ titles, with the Silver Arrows acknowledging Owen as a major contributor to this success.
In an official statement, the team said: “We can confirm that John Owen, our Director of Car Design, has decided that now is the right time to take a break from F1 and that he will be leaving the team later this year to begin a period of gardening leave, after assuring the transition to his successor. John has been with our Brackley team since 2007 and played a considerable role in our success. He has been a key part of 9 Constructors' Championships across the time he has worked here and this year's W17 marks the 17th car for which he has had overall design responsibility. We wish John all the very best for the future and thank him for the considerable role he has played in the team's success.”
Mercedes also confirmed that Owen’s position will be filled internally, with Giacomo Tortora, currently Engineering Director, set to become the new Director of Car Design. Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta will oversee the group.
The team plans to reveal the renders of their 2026 car, the W17, on January 22, followed by a digital launch show on February 2.
