Mercedes has confirmed a significant change behind the scenes ahead of the 2026 season, which marks the end of an era at Brackley. Long-serving lead designer John Owen will step away from his role as Director of Car Design, with the team confirming his departure will take place over the course of the 2026 season.
Owen will remain involved for much of the year, helping guide his successor before beginning a period of gardening leave later in 2026 and giving Mercedes time to manage the transition in a way that has long been part of the team’s culture.
John Owen’s Lasting Mark on Mercedes
Owen’s departure closes a remarkable chapter in the story of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. He joined the Brackley-based operation back in 2007 during its Honda days, and played a crucial role through one of the most successful periods in F1 history.
After starting as an aerodynamicist at Sauber, Owen became principal aerodynamicist for the 2009 Brawn GP project in a season that delivered one of the sport’s most famous championship triumphs. Later, when Mercedes took ownership of the team, Owen stayed on, was appointed chief designer, and later became Director of Car Design.
Over that time, he oversaw the design of all 17 Mercedes F1 cars, from the early Silver Arrows through to the dominant hybrid-era machines that powered the team to eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021. Seven drivers’ championships also came during that period, which further cemented Mercedes as the benchmark team of the modern era.
The upcoming W17, which will be revealed in renders on January 22 before its official launch on February 2, will be the final car to carry Owen’s design influence.
Mercedes thanked him for his contribution and said, “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.”
Giacomo Tortora Steps Up As Mercedes Looks Ahead
Rather than looking outside the organization, the German team has once again turned to its own talent and will promote Giacomo Tortora from engineering director to the team’s new Director of Car Design, reporting to tech lead James Allison.
The team wrote, “John’s role will be filled through internal promotion. Giacomo Tortora (currently our engineering director) will become the team’s new director of car design, with deputy technical director Simone Resta overseeing this group.”
Tortora joined Mercedes in July 2020 after spending nearly a decade at Ferrari, where he worked extensively on simulator development and engineering processes. He was already highly regarded by Allison during their time together in Maranello and quickly earned trust within Toto Wolff’s organization.
The Italian engineer will work closely with deputy technical director Simone Resta, who joined Mercedes in late 2024 and will also be part of a technical group that includes other prominent Italian figures such as power unit specialist Lorenzo Sassi.
Born in Lazio, Tortora also brings experience from McLaren, where he focused on research and development with an emphasis on vehicle dynamics and tire understanding, and that background will be valuable as F1 heads into the major 2026 regulation reset.
For Mercedes, this is about moving forward carefully as Owen leaves behind a legacy few designers can ever match. At the same time, Tortora steps into one of the most demanding roles in F1 at a very pivotal moment in the sport.
