With Usual Candidate on Ferrari’s Radar, Who Will Replace Absent Toto Wolff at Japanese GP?

Credits: Imago

Toto Wolff is set to miss the upcoming Japanese GP once again, as the 52-year-old chooses not to travel to Suzuka for the third year in a row. Some fans are claiming that Mercedes’ poor performance is making Wolff stay behind. But he already announced before the season started that he won’t be attending all 24 races this campaign. With this, speculation as to who will replace him for the weekend has surfaced.

In 2023, Jerome D’Ambrosio, Mercedes’ driver development boss, took over the reins from Wolff in Suzuka. However, as reported by Soy Motor, he won’t be doing the same this time.

D’Ambrosio is reportedly one of the names on Ferrari’s radar. The Belgian former racing driver could join current Silver Arrows star Lewis Hamilton, as he moves to the Maranello-based outfit in 2025. So, it is understandable why Mercedes could choose to refrain from making him the temporary boss for the weekend.

There are other names who could take over, including James Allison, who is Wolff’s close aide. He has previously filled in for Wolff, when the Austrian boss missed the Brazilian GP in 2019. So, he has experience in managing the team, which could prove to be handy considering the pickle Mercedes find themselves in at the moment. Another person rumored to be in charge is Bradley Lord, the head of Mercedes’ Communications.

Because of Wolff’s decision to not attend the Japanese GP, Mercedes could wind up in yet another challenging situation. They’ve had a woeful start to the season and the team would have been hoping for a big comeback at the Japanese GP. However, the team’s boss being absent in the paddock could be a demotivating factor for the entire squad.

Toto Wolff believes it is fair to question his role at Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton’s power unit issue in Melbourne forced him to retire on lap 17, marking the start of Mercedes’ challenging Australian Grand Prix race. The team then looked to George Russell to add some points but things only got worse. On the last lap, Russell crashed out while trying to get past Fernando Alonso, thus ending Mercedes’ weekend with a 0 point haul.

In light of this dismal performance, when Toto Wolff was asked if he was the best person to lead the Brackley-based side, he gave a somber response. He said to Racing News 365 that his contribution to the team has to be constructive.

“We have a physics problem, not a philosophical or organizational problem,” said Wolff to Racing News 365. “We haven’t swallowed a dumb pill since 2021.”

Wolff concluded his statement by inviting people to present solutions so that the problems at Mercedes can be fixed. As things stand, they remain fourth in the championship standings- far behind Ferrari and McLaren in terms of performance.