F1 News: Mercedes star to miss Japanese Grand Prix after Australia woes

Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell pose for a photo together, smiling — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Mercedes star to miss Japanese Grand Prix after Australia woes

The team are set to be without a key member at Suzuka next month

Originally written by Shay Rogers. This version is a translation.

Tuesday 26 March 2024 15:00

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff may be set to miss his first race of the season at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.

The Austrian is faced with the difficulty of turning around an underperforming Silver Arrows outfit who have been struggling for multiple seasons now.

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Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix marked one of their worst races of the turbo-hybrid era, suffering a double DNF, including a costly last lap shunt for George Russell.

Their 2024 challenger appears to be way off the pace of its podium contending rivals in most conditions and that trend isn’t expected to change without upgrades.

Toto Wolff has been Mercedes boss since 2013

The Japanese Grand Prix is a long commute for the F1 paddock

Wolff set to 'miss' Japanese Grand Prix

That means although they endured a tough weekend in Melbourne, his decision to skip the race in Suzuka is not linked to their bad performance down under.

George Russell crashed heavily at the Australian GP

He will still be contributing to their efforts though, handling some duties remotely while those on-site manage the rest.

The arduous nature of this year’s 2024 Formula 1 calendar means that paddock personnel are under more stress than ever to deliver.

Allowing time for a break is a wise move for Wolff, who much like the rest of his team, will have been travelling a lot in this early portion of the season.

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes FIA George Russell Toto Wolff Japanese Grand Prix