Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff will be noticeably absent from next week’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
While this might raise eyebrows after the team’s low-key start to its 2024 campaign and its disastrous Australian Grand Prix, Wolff’s decision was reportedly pre-planned and not a reaction to the Brackley squad’s current struggles.
Australia last weekend saw a dismal performance from Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton, who qualified just outside of the top-ten, suffered a race-ending power unit failure after just 15 laps.
His teammate, George Russell, wasn't much luckier, crashing out on the penultimate lap of the race while running in seventh position.
Following Mercedes' debacle in Melbourne, Wolff himself acknowledged the legitimacy of questions surrounding his leadership.
“As a co-owner of this business, I need to make sure that my contribution is positive and creative,” he szid after last Sunday’s race at Albert Park.
“So, I would be the first one to say, 'If somebody has a better idea, tell me’. I'm interested to turn this team around as quickly as possible.
“I'll happily give my input and see what that would be, who that could be. But we have a physics problem and not a philosophical or organisational problem, because we haven't swallowed a dumb pill since 2021.”
Wolff’s comments allude to a correlation issue that has arisen between the team’s wind-tunnel data collected in simulations and Mercedes’ on-track performance.
Despite his absence in Suzuka, Wolff will remain connected remotely throughout the Japan race weekend, while senior members of the Mercedes team will handle on-site duties.
This isn't Wolff's first time missing races; he sat out Japan and Qatar last year due to knee surgery, with Jerome d'Ambrosio stepping in as acting team principal.
However, d'Ambrosio's move to Ferrari at the end of the season will preclude the Belgian from being handed any leadership responsibilities with Mercedes in the future.
Jerome D'Ambrosio and Toto Wolff
While Wolff recently signed a new three-year management contract with Mercedes, he has openly discussed scaling back his on-track presence.
His absence in Japan could be part of that plan, or it could signal a more significant shift within the team. Mercedes' dominance in F1 seems like a distant memory, with just one win in their last 48 outings.
Meanwhile, George Russell is expected to return to the team headquarters this week for a comprehensive debrief with engineers and simulator work.
Clearly, there's a lot of work to do for Mercedes as they desperately seek solutions to turn their fortunes around.
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