During the Monaco Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff shared a text exchange with Williams counterpart James Vowles, who apologized for his drivers backing up George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli on track.
Wolff and Vowles are close friends, with Vowles previously working under Wolff at Mercedes before moving to Williams, where he has been working on revamping the team’s performance.
The strategic move by Williams during the race saw their drivers, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, taking turns to slow down the Mercedes cars, allowing the other Williams driver to pit and come out ahead, resulting in a double-points finish for the team.
Wolff acknowledged Vowles’ apology and the necessity of the tactic due to the circumstances on track, emphasizing their mutual understanding of the situation.
Vowles expressed his frustration over the strategy, pointing out that it was not how he preferred to race, while Wolff admitted that a challenging Saturday session had put Mercedes at a disadvantage in the race.
