Toto Wolff is set to return to the Formula 1 paddock in the United States after being absent for the last two races due to knee surgery. The Austrian skipped the Japanese and Qatar Grands Prix to recover from his surgery in Monaco. Consequently, he was not present on-site for the dramatic collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Lusail.
The clash between the two drivers occurred at Turn 1 of the Qatar Grand Prix, leading to Hamilton’s immediate retirement and Russell’s struggle to make a recovery drive back to fourth place.
In his official preview of the United States Grand Prix, Wolff addressed the collision between his two drivers, providing his first opinion on the matter since his terse radio message to Russell, instructing him to focus shortly after the incident.
“We have a busy couple of weeks coming up as the season heads toward its conclusion, starting with a triple-header in the USA, Mexico, and Brazil,” Wolff stated. “The last round in Qatar was a missed opportunity. As a team, witnessing our cars collide is something we never desire. It was frustrating to leave many points on the table, especially given the strong performance of the car.”
He continued, “However, it was heartening to see how the drivers and the team responded. Both Lewis and George understand that the team’s interests come first and have no intention of jeopardizing that. I’m confident we will all learn from this experience. Our focus is now on Austin, ensuring that we maximize our performance in each upcoming weekend.”
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Wolff emphasized the challenges of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and the team’s preparations, saying, “COTA is one of the most demanding modern tracks, providing an exhilarating experience for the drivers. We will introduce a modified floor, which represents the final significant update for this year. While it may yield a slight performance improvement, it is more importantly another milestone in our developmental path for the W15.”
He also acknowledged the intensifying battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, saying, “The competition for second place in the Constructors’ standings has heated up in recent races. We will remain focused, continue to push hard, and aim to accumulate as many points as possible to extend our advantage.”
