Mercedes chief Toto Wolff is set to miss the Japanese Grand Prix, according to reports.
The Silver Arrows team principal has overseen a difficult start to the new F1 season, with Red Bull and Ferrari superior at the current moment in time.
Mercedes endured a difficult race in Australia on Sunday, with both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell forced to withdraw.
After the race, Wolff questioned his own future and admitted performances on the grid haven't been up to scratch.
Toto Wolff is set to skip attending the Japanese Grand Prix on April 7
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And Wolff, according to the Daily Mail, is now set to be absent for the next race in Japan on April 7.
It's claimed the 52-year-old's decision to miss the race in Suzuka on April 7 was made before the start of the new season.
It is not connected to the team's poor display in Australia, with both Hamilton and Russell visibly frustrated at their failure to pose more of a threat.
Wolff will reportedly still be on the intercom remotely throughout the race weekend.
And his duties at the circuit are primed to be divided between senior staff members of the Brackley team.
It isn't the first time Wolff has missed a race during his time in charge of Mercedes.
He missed the Japanese GP and Qatar GP following knee surgery last year, with Jerome d'Ambrosio then given the task of overseeing both races.
Wolff has also said he previously intends to reduce his time on the track in the coming years as well.
The 52-year-old is a man in the spotlight, however, with Mercedes a far cry from the team they used to be during their time in the sport.
And Wolff admitted after Sunday's race that he was open to receiving help and advice to help the Silver Arrows turn their situation around.
"As a corner of this business, I need to be sure that my contribution is positive and creative," he said.
"I would be the first one to say, if someone has a better idea, tell me, because I'm interested to turn this team around as quickly as possible.
"And I'll happily give my input and see what that would be or who that could be.
"We have a physics problem, not a philosophical or organisational problem. We haven't swallowed a dumb pill since 2021.
"It's just we don't understand some of the behaviours of the car, that in the past we would have always understood.
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Toto Wolff was disappointed after Mercedes struggled at the Australian Grand Prix over the weekend
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"I look myself in the mirror every single day about everything I do, and if I believe that I should ask the manager question or the trainer question, I think it's a fair question, but it's not what I feel at the moment that I should do."
But while Wolff admits questions over his position are 'fair', the Austrian insists he won't be quitting just yet.
"The big difference is it's not like the manager question in terms of, this is my job, I'll stop the job and then somebody else is doing the job and I'll go to Chelsea or to Liverpool, or over to Ferrari," he revealed.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both struggled at the Australian Grand Prix over the weekend
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"I haven't got that choice, which is also unfortunate. I'm not a contractor or employee that says, 'I've had enough of this'.
"My hamster wheel keeps spinning and I can't jump out."
