Toto Wolff opts to attend Japanese Grand Prix as Mercedes battle pace issues

In recent years, Wolff had opted to miss certain long-haul races, such as Suzuka and Qatar, as the F1 calendar became increasingly packed. 

However, with Mercedes struggling to provide George Russell and the departing Lewis Hamilton with a competitive car for the third consecutive season, Wolff has chosen to reevaluate his approach.

Acknowledging criticisms of his previous assessments as overly pessimistic, Wolff now concedes that a more nuanced perspective is necessary given the team's current circumstances. 

This decision marks a departure from his previous stance of prioritising rest during select race weekends.

The Mercedes boss's decision underscores the mounting pressure facing the team as they seek to regain their competitive edge in the highly competitive F1 environment.

"I have to adapt my way of communicating so as not to put more pressure on the team. The fact that we are not competitive has nothing to do with a lack of effort," Wolff told the media.

"Lewis is as good as you can be. On one side it's super frustrating to see that we are not there, and then he looks over the fence (at Ferrari) and it's pretty good what's happening there.

"But that is not his main priority today, and George is just a fighter and is digging in. He knows this is his place and we've got to sort this out."