P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Wolff: My F1 absence didn’t trigger “unpleasant situations” between Mercedes drivers
The Austrian driver had to miss the Japanese and Qatar Grands Prix due to knee surgery following a training accident. Although Toto Wolff was recovering at home, there was tension observed between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at both events. In Suzuka, the two drivers almost collided, and there were heated radio messages about team orders. Then, in Losail, they actually collided at the first turn. Although there were jokes in the Mercedes team about driver troubles happening while Wolff was away, he stated that his absence was not a factor and that they were racing more competitively now. The incidents between Hamilton and Russell were addressed within the team, and Wolff said that the drivers were aware of the issues and the need to avoid similar situations in the future. While Wolff was involved remotely from home, he purposely refrained from getting too involved to be fair to the team working at the track.
Source: motorsport
