Wolff at Suzuka to “analyze the work done after Melbourne” | FP

Wolff changes his mind

The paddock of Suzuka he would not have seen the presence of the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who would remain in Europe to manage the team's operations remotely. All this until what was recently announced by the Austrian manager himself, who preferred to take the plane for the Japan in order to remain close to the team in a moment of crisis of competitiveness and results.

The Australian double knockout

In the last Australian GP, ​​for example, the cars of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell did not reach the finish line at Albert Park for different reasons: while the seven-time world champion raised the white flag for a W15 power unit problemhis teammate instead had a violent impact against barriers on the penultimate lap, deceived by a defensive maneuver by Alonso and then sanctioned with a 20 second penalty for the incident. An action that pushed the Spaniard into the center of heavy accusations mixed with defenses from former drivers.

Different challenge

Melbourne now belongs to the past, and the change of plans implemented by Wolff underlines the 52-year-old's desire to stay close to the team in a particularly delicate moment on a track with unique characteristics, even more so after the works carried out after the Australian GP: “After a difficult weekend in Australia, it's great to be back racing in Japan this weekend – has explained – from Melbourne we focused on improving the consistency of the W15. The car has shown signs of great performance on a few occasions, but in the first three races we have struggled to deliver this result at critical moments. Suzukawith its famous fast corners mixed with low speed content, and with altimetric variations, it will represent a different challenge to the circuits we have raced at so far. This is therefore another good opportunity to put our teachings to good use analyze the work done after Australia. This season we are going to Japan at a slightly earlier time of year than usual. While it is unlikely to have a major impact, it will be important to understand any differences in terms of track conditions. One thing that won't change is the remarkable support of Japanese fans. There is always a fantastic atmosphere at Suzuka and I'm sure it will be the same this weekend.”