Toto Wolff is still haunted by the events that unfolded in 2021 at the Yas Marina circuit.
During the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, Lewis Hamilton fell short on the final lap and finished second in the Drivers’ Championship. Max Verstappen managed to overtake Hamilton because he had new soft tires, while Hamilton was stuck with old hard compounds.
However, the actions of the then FIA race director, Michael Masi, left Toto Wolff, head of the Mercedes team, with a bitter feeling. Verstappen made the pass on Hamilton just after the end of the safety car period.
Discussing the injustice against Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff responded vehemently.
Mercedes lodged two protest notices after the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, citing violations of Article 48.8 and Article 48.12 of the International Sporting Code and Formula 1 Sporting Regulations in Verstappen’s overtake. The FIA rejected the protests and Mercedes subsequently withdrew their appeal.
Amid ongoing issues at Mercedes, Toto Wolff decided to skip the Japanese GP. Despite hoping for a better start to the season, the team faced significant difficulties during the Bahrain Grand Prix and subsequent races.
The team’s downfall worsened with the double DNF (Did Not Finish) at the Australian Grand Prix. Speculations suggest that Wolff may be losing interest or dissatisfied with the results.
However, as reported by Sky Sports earlier this week, news emerged that Wolff would rejoin the team in Suzuka. Although the decision to withdraw from the Japanese GP was made before the start of the current season and was unrelated to the team’s performance in Australia, the team principal had a change of heart.
The team is working tirelessly to improve their performance at the Japanese GP this weekend. After the double DNF debacle at Albert Park, the team had a lot of work with repairs. However, despite the challenges, Wolff chose to maintain a positive outlook for the upcoming 2024 season.
