Allison: Red Bull’s Success in F1 Hasn’t Diminished Their Comeback to the Forefront

Allison’s Return as Mercedes’ Technical Director: A Challenge to Embrace

Last year, Allison made a comeback to the technical director role at Mercedes as part of a job swap with Mike Elliott. The goal was clear – help Mercedes regain its position at the front of Formula One (F1). Despite Red Bull’s dominance last season, winning all but one race and securing another championship double, Allison found plenty of enthusiasm in his role.

For him, what made it enjoyable was having colleagues who embraced the challenge wholeheartedly. They were ready to go above and beyond to ensure that Mercedes could regain its form and deliver better results. “You say it’s no fun, actually it’s lots of fun,” reflected Allison when asked about witnessing Red Bull’s domination. “It isn’t as much fun as winning, that’s definitely true. But you have to sort of love the whole sport – taking your licks when you haven’t done a good enough job.”

A Lesson from Red Bull: Sticking Gamely to Their Task

Allison acknowledges how Red Bull persevered during their own fallow period while Mercedes dominated F1. He admires their current performance and believes that they are now reaping the rewards for their well-placed labor during those challenging times. Being in a similar position is far from unenjoyable for him or his team if they collectively believe in making the right moves towards establishing themselves once again as a force to be reckoned with.

“There’s loads and loads of fun to be had in that,” Allison adds, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the journey despite its difficulties.

Progress: A Roller Coaster Ride with Long-Term Trends

Allison admits that progress in F1 is never straightforward. It’s a constant roller coaster ride of highs and lows influenced by various factors. However, as long as the long-term trend is intact, he remains bullish about Mercedes’ prospects. The journey towards improvement may not always be smooth, but it certainly promises excitement.

“It’s always a roller coaster of getting your hopes up, being slapped down a bit by the racing gods and then gathering your skirts again to have another push,” shares Allison optimistically. “I hope that journey upwards is steep and strong and secure, but it will be great fun trying to drive it at whatever pace we can to give our rivals a good old fight.”

A Major Revamp for Mercedes: Addressing Past Problems

In an effort to address the challenges faced by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell over the past two years, Mercedes has been working on a major redesign of its F1 car. Early indicators from simulator running are positive; however, Allison remains cautious until they see what their rivals have achieved.

“I don’t think any team has ever been anything other than apprehensive at this time of year,” notes Allison when discussing expectations before getting concrete evidence from actual on-track performance.

He further explains how even in previous years where initial tests seemed promising based on drivers’ feedback after their first runs with new cars, true confidence only comes once competitors hit the track too – leaving no room for premature celebration or self-assurance.