Mercedes Chief Designer John Owen to Depart Team After 17 Years

Mercedes chief designer John Owen will leave the team later this year.

The 52-year-old has been part of the organisation since 2007, when it competed under the Honda name, and played a key role in its championship successes as Brawn GP in 2009 and as Mercedes from 2010 onwards.

During his tenure, the team won both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles as Brawn, followed by seven drivers’ championships and eight constructors’ championships as Mercedes between 2014 and 2021.

In a statement, Mercedes said Owen would depart “after ensuring a smooth transition to his successor” and would then enter a period of gardening leave. No details were given regarding his next career move.

Engineering director Giacomo Tortora will take over as director of car design, reporting to deputy technical director Simone Resta.

Before joining Honda, Owen worked at Swiss-based Sauber, where he became senior aerodynamicist in 2004. He began his career at the now-defunct racing car manufacturer Reynard.

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