Barely a quarter into the 2025 Formula 1 season, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff will already have skipped two grands prix after this weekend's race at Imola.
Wolff has made a habit of missing the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka recently, one of the calendar's most distant events from F1's European base, as the schedule has expanded to 24 races.
Surprisingly, he will also be absent from Imola, just 40km southeast of Bologna, Italy, despite its significance as a key race where nearly every team is expected to introduce major car upgrades.
"Our focus is on making gains as we begin the European leg of the season," Wolff said this week. "F1 is a relative game, though, and we know our competitors will make progress too. It will be interesting to see how that plays out on track."
The Austrian will be watching from Los Angeles, attending the graduation of his 23-year-old son, Benedict Wolff, from the University of Southern California, where he is believed to have studied business.
This means Wolff will miss the first home race for his teenage Italian protégé, Kimi Antonelli. "He grew up nearby in Bologna," Wolff noted, "and it will be a special occasion for him."
Antonelli has shown promise in his debut season, filling the seat previously held by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking of Hamilton, who has faced challenges since joining Ferrari in 2025, Wolff remains optimistic. "I very much believe that the magic is still there," he said.
"If he aligns all his performance contributors and feels he is in the right space and the car is to his liking, he will be stellar. I have no doubt. But I'm also not surprised he has these road bumps.
"He was with us for 12 years - our way of operating. He's been put in a Ferrari, where his teammate has been a long time. And his teammate clearly is one of the very good ones," Wolff added, referring to Charles Leclerc.
"So from the outside and speaking to him, it's a trajectory any new driver needs to go through in a top team."
In Wolff's absence at Imola, as was the case in Suzuka, Mercedes communications boss Bradley Lord will assume on-site team principal duties.
