F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Mercedes F1 chief aerodynamicist leaves Brackley squad

Mercedes has parted ways with another senior member of its F1 team, with chief aerodynamicist Gioacchino Vino moving on after six years with the Brackley squad.

It’s unclear whether Vino’s exit was decided by the Italian engineer or the result of Mercedes’ current struggles with the aerodynamics and balance of its 2024 car.

Regardless, Vino’s departure adds to those recently announced retreats of performance director Loic Serra and driver development director Jerome d’Ambrosio, both of whom will begin work at Ferrari in the latter part of the year.

Over two years after the introduction of Formula 1’s ground-effect regulations, Mercedes is still battling to regain its competitive edge.

Last October, Mercedes also parted ways with Chief Technical Officer Mike Elliott who had previously swapped positions with now-Technical Director James Allison.

In response to the news of Vino’s exit, Allison offered a counterpoint, emphasizing that despite recent departures, the team is actively acquiring new technical expertise.

"I don't think there is any point in me offering a commentary on motivation, clearly a team needs to have a critical mass of experienced and good people," Allison told the media in Imola on Friday.

"We would not wish to see experienced and good people leave us, but we are also gathering experienced and good people at a similar rate.

"So I guess it is our job to try and make sure we act in such a way that people would rather be with us than anywhere else."

Mercedes technical director James Allison.

Despite Allison’s neutral tone, events of late at Mercedes paint a murky picture of what may be going on behind the scenes at the former championship winning outfit.

As Mercedes strives to reclaim its place at the forefront of F1, it will be interesting to see how they address these key departures and navigate this period of transition.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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