Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes, will not be present at the upcoming Formula One race in Japan, as reported by the PA news agency today.
According to sources, Wolff decided to skip the race in Suzuka on April 7 before the commencement of the new season, and it is unrelated to the team’s performance in Australia.
Following a challenging weekend for Mercedes at Melbourne’s Albert Park, Wolff acknowledged the legitimacy of questioning his future as team principal.
Lewis Hamilton’s 11th-place qualification and subsequent engine failure on lap 17, marking the worst start in his 18-season career, compounded by teammate George Russell’s crash while in seventh position, underscored the team’s struggles.
Despite his absence from the circuit in Japan, where Wolff resides in Monaco, he will remain connected remotely via intercom throughout the race weekend. Responsibilities at the circuit will be delegated among senior members of the Brackley team.
This is not the first time Wolff has missed the Japanese Grand Prix, having also been absent from last year’s race and the subsequent round in Qatar due to knee surgery. In a previous interview with the PA news agency, Wolff disclosed his intention to reduce his on-track presence in the coming years gradually.
