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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claims he might have to start skipping a few races in 2023, with the sport set to have a record-breaking 24-race calendar next year. The Austrian executive has reportedly missed only one race in the past nine years, putting him on an impressive streak.
Wolff claimed that he would miss the upcoming 2022 Japanese GP, but will now go to Suzuka as the FIA is going to reveal its investigations about the 2021 cost cap infringement. The Mercedes chief wanted to oversee operations in Brackley instead of going to Japan. However, in case one of the two suspected teams is accused of infringing last year's cost cap, Wolff will be needed in Japan.
The Austrian boss said that he might have to start missing some races next year due to F1's upcoming 24-race calendar, making it difficult for him to attend all races. He said:
"I will start to skip a few races. The whole team needs to look at it. It is not sustainable for anyone to do 24 races. The drivers have to, but we start on Monday in the office and go through until the end of the week. We need to find a solution, and I think the race team will skip a few races every year in order to survive. There are a few individuals that can take over some of my tasks."
The Mercedes boss concluded:
"Not physically being at the race meeting doesn't mean that I am not at the race. I have a full intercom setup. There is a race support room at the factory, and I will be part of every single debriefing. I just won't be there physically."
Mercedes boss claims Lewis Hamilton can remain in the sport for a lot longer
Hamilton's time in F1 is not coming to an end any time soon, claims Toto Wolff. Wolff cited Fernando Alonso as an example of how drivers can still be competitive despite their age.
He told the media:
“If you look at where Fernando is with 41 years, he’s still very much there. Now is he the same Fernando he was at 25? I don’t know, but he’s very competitive still. I think Lewis, with the way he leads his life with the full, ultra-narrow focus on his Formula 1 racing – all the others are just hobbies – I think he can take it quite far.”
Lewis Hamilton finished the 2022 Singapore GP in ninth place after making a rare unforced driving error. The Briton managed to put his W13 in P3 at the end of qualifying, missing out on pole position by half a tenth. However, the seven-time world champion claims that he will not beat himself up over his poor result on Sunday. With the 2022 Japanese GP coming up this weekend, the Mercedes driver has yet another shot at getting that ever-elusive first win in 2022.
