Toto Wolff OUT for upcoming F1 race as Mercedes chief set for surgery

Toto Wolff

Wolff OUT for upcoming F1 race as Mercedes chief set for surgery

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's boss will miss a crucial Grand Prix in Asia

Jay Winter

Monday 4 September 2023 18:57

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Toto Wolff is set to miss the Japanese Grand Prix with the Mercedes boss due to undergo knee surgery.

The Austrian team principal will go under the knife after the Singapore Grand Prix in an operation to restore his anterior cruciate ligament.

According to Wolff, the lack of ligaments in his knee is the reason why he injured himself during the summer break while mountain biking.

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"I was riding over slippery rocks," he recalled to Kronen Zeitung. "It's not that I couldn't handle it. But I wanted to support myself with my left leg - and it just gave way because I no longer have a cruciate ligament there."

The 51-year-old broke his arm from that incident and was pictured in a cast by his wife Susie Wolff.

Wolff in a cast after his mountain biking accident | Credit: @susie_wolff on Instagram

Short term pain, long term gain

In order for the Austrian adrenaline seeker to continue going on his adventures, Wolff has decided to fix his leg.

"After Singapore, I'm heading to the Hochrum Clinic to get a new cruciate ligament," he said. "Then I can do everything again."

However, the surgery will cause him to miss out on a vital F1 race.

"I'm skipping Japan, then there's a free weekend," he said. "In Qatar, I'd like to walk around without crutches. Then I might even be able to go skiing in the winter."

For now, Wolff will be laser-focused on the Singapore Grand Prix on the 17th of September, where the Silver Arrows will be aiming for a better result than at the Italian Grand Prix.