Usually, the summer break offers a rare opportunity for Formula 1 drivers and bosses to relax amidst a hectic racing schedule, with many enjoying nice holidays with friends and families before the season returns in Zandvoort at the end of August… But clearly, nobody told Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff.
As the chequered flag fell on a famous Red Bull 1-2 in Belgium last month, the Formula 1 season took a well-earned break from the congested – and demanding – race schedule.
The FIA imposes a mandatory two-week break for all race teams to give everyone a chance to rest and recuperate before the second half of the season. The schedule will resume with all ten teams travelling to the Netherlands for the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday 27 August.
Many took the opportunity to reflect on the first half of the season; for Toto Wolff, it’s an opportunity to return to his native Austria with his wife Susie and their two sons, where they spent the time cycling, skateboarding and karting amongst the breathtaking scenery and enduring mountain ranges. Sounds picturesque right? The perfect place to unwind…
Wolff’s wife took to Instagram to share the news that he had injured his arm whilst downhill mountain biking in Austria, posting a picture of the Mercedes boss with his left arm encased in a blue cast.
“Action-packed start to the summer holidays,” Susie wrote on her Instagram. “Last picture shows how the downhill mountain biking ended for Toto…”
The injury is expected to keep Wolff out of action for the rest of the summer season, with Mercedes confirming the fracture to PlanetF1.com – although he is expected to make a full recovery in time for the return of the F1 season and the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.