Mercedes chief designer John Owen will step down from his role with the Silver Arrows in 2026. The designer leaves the German team after almost two decades of loyal service. Owen, as chief designer, played a key role in the team’s dominance between 2014 and 2021, but now hands his responsibilities to successors Giacomo Tortora and Simone Resta.
John Owen joined the Mercedes outfit in 2007, and played a central role in securing, among other achievements, eight constructors’ titles for the Silver Arrows. As the German squad’s chief designer he was responsible for the design of all seventeen Formula 1 cars the team ran, including the dominant W07 — the car in which Nico Rosberg claimed his first and only world championship in 2016.
Owen will step down during 2026, and will support his successor through the handover of duties. ““We wish John all the best for the future and thank him for the major role he has played in the team’s success,” Mercedes said in the official press release announcing Owen’s departure. “John’s role will be filled internally. Giacomo Tortora (currently Engineering Director) will become the new Director of Car Design, while Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta will oversee that department.”
2026
Mercedes, like the other teams on the grid, stands on the eve of a new regulations cycle. The rules governing chassis and engines are being overhauled for the 2026 season. The last time a change on this scale hit — when the ground-effect era began in 2022 — Mercedes got it wrong. Hampered by porpoising and a lack of correlation between simulator data and on-track performance, the German outfit, aside from the occasional Grand Prix win, enjoyed little success.
