Owen to leave role as Mercedes chief designer

Mercedes chief designer John Owen is to leave the team later this year.

The 52-year-old has been with the team since 2007, when it was Honda, and been a key figure in championships won under the name Brawn in 2009 and Mercedes from 2010.

The team won the drivers’ and constructors’ titles as Brawn and then seven drivers’ and eight constructors’ championships as Mercedes from 2014-21.

A Mercedes statement said Owen would leave “after assuring the transition to his successor” and then have a period of gardening leave.

There was no information on what his next career step might be.

Engineering director Giacomo Tortora will become director of car design, a group overseen by deputy technical director Simone Resta, the team said.

Owen worked at the Swiss Sauber team, where he became senior aerodynamicist in 2004 before his move to Honda. He started his career at the now-defunct racing-car manufacturer Reynard.