Toto Wolff is set for his trackside return in F1 US GP as Mercedes will bring its final big update of the 2023 season.
Having missed the last couple of races due to his knee surgery, Mercedes team boss Wolff is set for his trackside return in this weekend’s F1 US GP at Circuit of the Americas. In his absence, Jerome D’Ambrobsio, Andrew Shovlin and Bradley Lord took charge.
The media were handled largely by communications director Lord and partly by Shovlin. They had to get through Qatar GP’s teammate collision too which was handled nicely after Lewis Hamilton accepted his fault and George Russell appreciated the call.
“We have a busy couple of weeks coming up as the season heads towards its conclusion, starting with a triple-header in the USA, Mexico and Brazil,” said Wolff. “The last round in Qatar was a case of what might have been. As a team, you never want to see your cars collide. It was frustrating to leave a lot of points on the table, particularly as the pace of the car was strong.
“It was encouraging though to see how the drivers and the team reacted. Both Lewis and George know the team comes first and do not ever intend to jeopardise that. I am sure we will all grow from this moment. We’re now focused on Austin and making sure we get the most out of each upcoming weekend,” summed up Wolff, who noted about Mercedes bringing their last significant update this weekend.
The focus is largely on the floor side looking towards 2024. They will have minor updates for the rest of the races where the goal will be to test them for next season. At the same time, Mercedes is looking to retain second in the constructors’ standings too.
“It’s always great to race at the Circuit of the Americas,” continued Wolff. “There’s a fantastic atmosphere and the city welcomes F1 with open arms. COTA is one of the most challenging modern tracks and a real thrill for the drivers. We’ll be bringing a modified floor, which is the last significant update we will take to the track this year.
“It will hopefully bring a small gain but more importantly, is another milestone in setting our development path for W15. The battle for second in the Constructors’ has become more intense in recent races. We will keep our heads down, keep pushing and aim to score as many points as we can to increase our advantage.”
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