The Mercedes AMG Formula One Team today announced that Bob Bell is to leave his position as Technical Director. Bob resigned his position in December 2013 and will leave the team at the end of November 2014, with the intention of pursuing new challenges outside the company. He has held the position of Technical Director since April 2011. Executive Director (Technical) Paddy Lowe will assume the responsibilities previously held by Bob. The role of Technical Director will not be replaced.
The big question is where Bob will turn up next…
Bell (56) is a doctor of aeronautical engineering, who started in racing in 1982 at McLaren where he worked as an aerodynamicist until 1988 when he became head of research and development, later moving on to other projects, notably the McLaren land speed record car MAVerick. In 1997 he moved to Benetton (now known as Lotus F1) at Enstone. After a couple of years he went to Jordan as head of vehicle technology before returning to Enstone (by then Renault F1) in 2001 as Deputy Technical Director and he became Technical Director in 2003. He was the team’s technical leader for the World Championships of 2005 and 2006. After the Singapore Scandal Bell became acting team principal and then Managing Director for the Renault team until he departed for Mercedes in 2010. Given his long experience and connections one can see a number of possible moves: Alonso would no doubt be keen to have him at Ferrari, the folks at Lotus would do well to take him on to rebuild what was “his” team for a while. McLaren might convince him to return to his first F1 team with more power, and a team such as Williams might also like to have him onboard as it rebuilds.
Time will tell…
joeblogsf1 
Ferrari!
McLaren…
Interesting. So what will be the next step? McLaren-Honda? Ferrari? He surely knows a lot about Mercedes ‘secrets’ 🙂
Ferrari! Especially with recent engine design of the Mercedes powerplant.
Surely not a coincidence that this is announced immediately after the Ferrari bombshell?
I think you know he won’t go to Enstone as its ran by a bunch of hopeless optimists with a lot of debt on their hands, not deep enough pockets and very little sense. The question is perhaps why would you leave a soon to be world championship team? To me only to get higher up the ladder and he might get that chance again with Ferrari (after his short spell at the helm at Renault)
Alright, calm down, calm down… Just because this is announced on the same day as Stefano leaving Ferrari “may” just be a coincidence.. Bell is not leaving Merc until November, so will have no impact on the design or any input into the 2015 Ferrari… so it makes no difference if Stefano goes today. If Ferrari wanted to replace him, they would have kept him in the job until the end of the year.. to maintain stability in the team; then brought Bell in as his replacement.
As is, he has decided to fall on his sword, and they are bringing in a non-racing type to run the team.
On a different note, any news on where John Isley is after his departure from Caterham?
I think that the end of November might be too late for Lotus.
Team Principal at Gene Haas F1? 😉 Or not… Good luck to him.
I would guess that Ross Brawn and Bob Bell are the two men who, more than any others, have put Mercedes in the way-out-ahead position that they currently occupy. And yet both of them have had to leave in order to make way for Paddy Lowe to be appointed in their place.
The current success (and last year’s green shoots) seem to me to make Lauda and Wolfe’s decision to appoint Paddy Lowe, as their major strategic step when they were given the management of the team, look premature and mistaken.
I was going to say much the same: if you look at Bob Bell’s record as opposed to Paddy Lowe’s… one suspects that Mercedes’ future performance will only last as long as their engine superiority does.
Mercedes still have a few former technical directors spare. A bit like keeping a spare globe in your glovebox.
No kidding ..well said back in April.
perhaps he and Ross Brawn have plans?
Bell & Brawn are mates – they go back a few years together
If those two went “fishing” together, they could probably reel in some very interesting offers.
Williams, joining Symonds.
After the talk Bob gave us all at Enstone in the aftermath of Singapore-gate and the departures of a couple of personnel, I don’t think he and Pat would really see eye to eye….!
What about a team like Haas desperately in need of people with Bell’s level of experience and personal connections?
His talents are badly needed in Maranello.
He’s a good guy; no doubt he will be (or have already been) snapped up
does anyone know if Mike Gascoyne is still with Caterham?
he used to be one of the rising technical person in the late 90s and early 2000s, since he left Toyota F1, he’s been very quiet and hasn’t had much recognition.
He is not with the racing team
Messing about on boats, to go by his twitter feed.
Maybe he was made to look good by those under him… he upset too many people
I would have thought “pursuing new challenges” meant something new out of F1.
“pursuing new challenges” more PR bollocks
Two new teams!
I doubt anyone sensible would go to Lotus unless Renault was taking the team back again, in which case he’d probably go there along with Alonso. He’s not much use to anyone this year or next if he’s locked in til November though.