Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff ha🌳s explained why he did a U-turn on his decision to attend this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Wolff had planned toꦿ mis൲s the race at Suzuka - like he did in 2023 - to remain back at the team’s base.

The Austrian had revealed that he wanted to reduce the amount o♏f races he was present for giv💜en the ever-expanding F1 calendar.

H✃owever, amid Mercedes’ tough start to the year, Wolff changed his plans, attending the race in Japan.

Explaining that decision in the FIA press conference on Friday, Wolff said: “Yeah, I had planned not to come to Japan because there's so much on back in Europe, thing༺s to do.

“But then I felt not coming to Japan was the wrong choice. I think it's important to be with the race team also. It does me good also to be close to the action. We are experime✤nting with a few things and then being part of the team really gives me energy. I hope the other way around too. So that's why I decided against staying in Europe.”

Mercedes have endured a miserable start to the season, scoring just 26 points in the first three🐲 rounds - equalling their worst start to a campaign since 2012.

They suffered a double-DNF last time out in Australia as 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton suffered an engine failure, while 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell crashed out.

Despite another disappointing start to a campaign, Wolff remains “convinced” Mercedes can turn it a🌳round in the coming years.

“I think we're a sports team. We've won eight times in a row and that hasn't been done before, yo༺u have periods where you struggle like any other sports team and you can't win every time,” he added.

“That's why this is a super challenge. It's not a race, it's not one single season and then you come baღck out on top, but it's the third one in a row.

“But I remain absolutely convinced that we will be looking back in a few years and saying that was so tough but so important for the development of the team from maybe an organisationalꦫ standpoint, from re-evaluating our tools and systems, which clearly don't work as good as they did in previous regulations.”