Lewis Hamilton‘s exit from Mercedes has brought about a mini-exodus. Several major figures have entered the Maranello headquarters to wear the Red suit. However, despite being around Hamilton for over a decade, Mike Elliott remains off Ferrari’s list. No, the ‘I’ve-worked-with-Lewis-Hamilton card isn’t working for the tech genius. It looks like he will remain a free agent for now.

Having worked with the 7x champ at McLaren and Mercedes, Elliott comes with great experience. However, his CV isn’t impressing Fred Vasseur. A large part of the blame goes to his problematic W13 design, which failed to stand up to the mark of Lewis Hamilton at Silver Arrows. Formu1a.uno’s Guiliano Dutchess confirmed that Mercedes’ former Tech Director Mike Elliott won’t get a spot at Ferrari. He’s been excluded from Fred Vasseur’s radar.

Lewis Hamilton’s referral won’t be working in this case. Most of Elliott’s resignation from Mercedes remains in the darkness. Speculations suggest that Mike’s failed zero sidepod W13, later reinforced for the W14, significantly contributed to his removal as Technical Director. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to see what happened back in 2023.

Despite being at the pinnacle of success with Lewis Hamilton, Mike Elliott resigned from his post at Mercedes

Mike Elliott had swapped places with James Allison six months before resigning. A few insiders believe that the decision forced the Tech Director to resign. He became one of the many to be a part of Mercedes’ mass exodus in 2023. There comes a phase in F1’s life cycle when veterans leave their spot for the next generation to continue their legacy. Maybe this is one of the examples of such a notion. This also brings out the harsh picture of F1. When the team was performing well, people credited Mike Elliott. But once Hamilton failed to win his eighth title, the drought continued in 2022, and Mike was solely to blame.

Thanks to Lewis Hamilton, Elliott has seven titles along with the F1 legend. “I have decided that now is the right time to make my next step beyond Mercedes – first to pause and take stock, after 23 years of working flat-out in this sport, and then to find my next challenge,” Elliott said at the time of his departure. He had kept a secret about his plans ahead. It looks like he hasn’t come up with any plans yet. As far as reports say, no teams have approached him either. There was a possible chance at Ferrari, but the team doesn’t seem to be interested.

So, for now, Mike Elliott has to wait for his next opportunity. Being a member of Lewis Hamilton’s crew isn’t helping him. His flaws with the former models of Mercedes cars could be playing a pivotal role in this disappointing state of affairs. Meanwhile, Hamilton is preparing for the second half of the season, with his mind prepared for his journey with Ferrari soon. What is your take on this? Share below in the comments.