[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/

Mercedes engineering director Aldo Costa is to step back and move into a consultancy role from the start of 2019 as part of a shake up of the team's technical structure.
Costa originally joined Mercedes in 2011 after a lengthy spell at Ferrari, which had included him being technical director from 2007.
The Italian has been viewed as one of the key architects in creating the cars that have helped Mercedes to four consecutive Formula 1 championship doubles, but feels the time is right to wind back his involvement.
Ahead of his shift to a technical advisory role, chief designer John Owen will step up to head the engineering group and report to technical director James Allison.
Furthermore, performance director Mark Ellis has decided to retire from his current position and will begin a sabbatical from the middle of next year.

Ellis, who had previously worked at Red Bull and BAR, will be replaced at the end of this year by chief vehicle dynamicist Loic Serra.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: "This is a significant moment for our team and a great opportunity.
"We have said many times that you cannot freeze a successful organisation; it is a dynamic structure and I am proud that we are able to hand the baton smoothly to the next generation of leaders inside the team."

[Jody Barton]

I was coming here to post the exact same thing myself. Is it all planned? Or has the top brass had enough of Costa and Ellis? Clearly the cars core concepts are still Aldo Costa's ideas, and Ellis has been responsible for the focussing of the teams resources and development work, and in many areas Mercedes have stagnated. I noticed with interest since Allison came in the sort of people he's been bringing to the team, non-conformists, younger more daring types. I think these changes were inevitable at some point. However, given the success the team has had it was never going to be an over night revolution. It feels like Mercedes need a change, because this year's car feels stagnant.

[morini]

It feels like Mercedes need a change, because this year's car feels stagnant.

Still a damn fine car, just that the competition is stronger as the regs stabilise (nothing wrong with that). Can't be anything other than awesome given it's recent history.

Besides, you seem to be glossing over the fact that it really should have won the last two races as well. Amazing how people are prepared to go on a downer on Mercedes after a little run of poor luck. Fine margins my friend, very fine margins. I'm prepared to put hard cash on them coming out on top again this year too. They are just a better all round team (IMO ™).

[Jody Barton]

Not on a downer on Mercedes at all Morini, they are an amazing team with an insane amount of talent. However, since 2013 they've had a gearbox Achilles heel they've not fixed yet, and they have an inbuilt issue with tyres, and since 2017 their car has a lot of drag and peaky aero. Despite what Horner and Red Bull think, sound analysis still suggest the Merc unit is the best. They clearly have outstanding suspension, honestly it's impressive. The chassis, aero and overall design philosophy has let them down. Last year the best team with the best driver won, but Ferrari had the slightly better car. This year I think both Red Bull and Ferrari have the better cars, and it's mainly the Mercedes PU keeping them in it.

[Purple-banana]

...it really should have won the last two races as well...

Disagree entirely.

Reliability is as important as horsepower these days and in Austria they didn't have it.

And it took a Herculean effort for Hamilton to snatch pole in Silverstone, and it was bloody close, even by F1 standards. Given his abysmal start (relatively), the final race result was a very fair outcome all things considered. If we ignore the fact Merc would have likely switched them anyway, VB deserved second place over Lewis after their respective starts.

[Jody Barton]

Agree with most of that analysis, but I think given their relative pace within the race, I think Lewis would have taken Bottas either in the race or during pit stops, he was much, much quicker in the race and made his tyres last longer. He'd have had a shot at Vettel as well. Also think the safety car saved Vettel a bit, because his tyres were not lasting until the end of the race, no chance. We'll never know either way.

[Purple-banana]

Agree Jody - although how much of that pace was down to high performance engine modes used for damage limitation? As you say, we'll never know.

Apologies Morini if I came off somewhat bluntly there. I can't bear it when people say something "should" have happened in sport. To get my geek on and quote Morpheus from The Matrix: "What happened, happened and couldn't have happened any other way."

Just a point on the tyres and wear - I know many British fans amongst us were looking forward to the British GP as a season highlight, frankly I have been looking forward to getting it out the way and getting rid of these damned B-spec tyres. Honestly, whoever thought swapping and changing between tyre specs mid-season was a good idea need their head wobbling.

[LotusLover]

Never look forward to the British Gp out for f the way one of the best tracks in the calendar.

[NeilP]

There are too many variables within a race than to do anything but conjecture the outcome. Even as Mercedes fan I think Hamilton would have struggled to get past Vettel but its a mute point because between his poor start and Kimi's bump effectively put him in no mans land.

As a side note I am not impressed by any of the front runners moving through the pack this season its totally inevitable unless you are at somewhere like Monaco.
I really would love to know for sure if Mercedes will make Bottas move over at any stage, even though I am a Hamilton fan I dont want to see that. It has not been in Mercedes DNA much and I dont want it to become what they do.

Interesting moves from Mercedes in the personnel areas, the cynic in me does not believe its a natural progression I believe its more of a forced move myself. You do not voluntarily change a winning formula just for the sake of personnel.  I would suggest this is as much to do with the teams hiring of James Allison than anything else and maybe a clash of ideologies. That said its total conjecture on my behalf.

Love the Matrix reference John, the only question is which is the good and which is bad, it has to be Ferrari running machine world right?    Which would make Forza.... never mind

[forzaferrari]

it has to be Ferrari running machine world right?    Which would make Forza.... never mind

Never watched the film(s) but Im sure you where going to say something nice about me.....right Neil?