Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed how their new signing, former Red Bull Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jayne Poole, will help transform the team’s fortunes.
Poole joined the Silver Arrows tasked with examining the team’s infrastructure to help find ways for them to improve their development process.
Alongside that role, she has another key mission, according to Wolff, working to examine the other teams in forensic detail to find how they have managed to be as successful as they are.
Wolff secured Poole’s services, having developed a “respectful relationship” with the Red Bull staffer over the past decade, with her role at the title-holders being key to their success last season.
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“She worked for the competitor, but you can respect people working for a competitor and acknowledge their performance,” Wolff said.
“Her role at Red Bull was, in my opinion, a very large part of the success of the team over the last years.
“That relationship came to an end, like many relationships come to a natural end. I wanted to hire Jayne for a long time, but it was just never an option. And then it became now.
“She’s a great addition. She has a lot of know-how, she’s a great psychologist, she has seen another organisation, she knows everybody pretty much, and she has created forensic profiles of all of the good people in Formula One. Having her eyes is a very, very strong edge to the organisation.”
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The move is a key development for Mercedes, as the team has lost a series of key personnel in recent years, including team strategist James Vowles who took up the role of Williams team principal this season.
Among their staff shake-up, Mercedes recently brought James Allison back as technical director, moving Mike Elliott to chief technical officer.
Mercedes will be hoping for a comeback with its new hires, as the team charts a way to take on title-leaders Red Bull, who have built up a runaway lead in the Constructors’ race.