Bob Bell returns to F1 in 2011, with Mercedes GP!
Through a press release, Mercedes GP has just announced the arrival of Bob Bell to their team. The former technical director of the Renault F1 Team will therefore serve in the German team starting April 1, 2011.
Bob Bell, who left the Renault F1 Team at the end of 2010 after the team’s acquisition by Genii Capital, has found a team to participate in the 2011 Formula 1 season. The Englishman has been appointed technical director at Mercedes GP.
Bob Bell will provide important hierarchical support to Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg’s team, allowing Ross Brawn to focus more actively on coordinating teams between the chassis plant in Brackley and the Mercedes-Benz engine plant in Brixworth.
Bob Bell began his career in motorsports over 25 years ago as an aerodynamicist for McLaren. He quickly moved to Benetton and then Jordan before joining Renault. He was appointed technical director in 2003 and played a key role in the double championship victories of the R25 and R26 in 2005 and 2006. In 2009, Bob Bell took charge of the French team after the Crashgate scandal and the dismissal of Briatore and Symonds. He led the managerial team in 2010 and left at the end of the year as Renault sold its shares to Genii Capital.
Ross Brawn, the director of the Mercedes GP team, is relieved by the arrival of the Englishman: « We are happy to welcome Bob Bell to our team. He will provide significant support to strengthen our expertise. He is one of the most renowned engineers of his generation. We look forward to having him in April. »
For his part, Bob Bell is also thrilled to return to the Formula 1 pitlane: I am also delighted and honored by the trust the team and Ross Brawn have placed in me. It is a privilege to be able to contribute to the history of Mercedes Benz.
