Wolff reveals Vowles’ apology over Williams' Monaco tactics

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has lifted the lid on a moment of honesty and respect between former colleagues, as Williams boss James Vowles issued a mid-race apology for the role his drivers played in thwarting Mercedes’ points bid in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The race, already a challenge due to a new mandatory two-stop rule, became a tactical nightmare for Mercedes as Williams exploited the regulation to their advantage.

It ultimately left the Brackley squad empty-handed with George Russell finishing a frustrating 11th and rookie Kimi Antonelli trailing three laps down in 18th position.

Mercedes’ troubles began on Saturday, with Antonelli crashing in Q1 and Russell suffering a sudden power unit issue in Q2, leaving both drivers starting outside the top 10.

The FIA’s two-stop rule, intended to add excitement by discouraging tyre management and encouraging strategic diversity, instead opened the door for teams to manipulate race pace.

Both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz took turns slowing down the pack, creating gaps for each other to pit without losing position. Racing Bulls had initiated a similar strategy earlier with Liam Lawson, setting a precedent that Williams followed.

The blockade frustrated Russell, who, in a moment of exasperation, cut the Nouvelle Chicane to pass Albon, which earned him a drive-through penalty from the stewards that dashed his hopes of scoring points.

Wolff’s Reflections and Vowles’ Apology

Speaking after the race, Wolff shared a text exchange between himself and Vowles, who spent a good many years at Mercedes working under the Austrian’s orders before taking the helm of Williams.

“He sent me a text in the race,” Wolff revealed. “‘I’m sorry. We had no choice given what happened ahead.’ I answered, ‘We know.’”

The Mercedes chief understood the predicament, and highlighted the personal and professional respect between him and Vowles

“James is one of my guys, and I don’t want to sound patronising because he’s making a career as a team principal, and he’s doing really well. He had to do it,” Wolff explained.

“You know, it’s two cars in the points, and I think the way it started was these RBs that packed us back off, and that’s what we had to do.”

However, Wolff didn’t shy away from reflecting on Mercedes’ own shortcomings.

“There were teams that were punching above their weight, like the Racing Bulls, and they had to protect their position, as well as the Williams, and we were probably one of the victims of that.

“But we were, because our Saturday didn’t go well,” he recognized, while also believing that Mercedes’ W16 had the pace for a stronger showing.

“We had a fast car. Kimi touched the barrier, and that’s absolutely on for a rookie. And with George we just ran out of power out of nowhere. It was a car that was good for the first two rows. or better,” he added.

“And then we raced on the fun part of the track. Where we were, there was just, there was not any land.”

A Race of Frustration and Lessons

The race dynamics, altered by the slow pace of the Williams drivers, created unexpected challenges, according to Wolff.

“I think the amount of back off was catching him [Russell] and Kimi out,” he said. “I think Kimi was the one who nearly crashed into one of the Williams’ on braking.”

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“You think about 5.5 seconds slower also then this becomes a different track, different braking points.

“With George, same situation. Difficult to stop the car, just going straight, and I think it was a moment of frustration to do something different,” Wolff explained, referring to the Briton straight-lining the Nouvelle Chicane.

“We knew that it was a stop-and-go; we were hoping it would be 10 seconds. But it didn’t change anything.”

Indeed, the penalty, while harsh, didn’t alter the race’s outcome for Mercedes, who were already out of contention.

While Williams celebrated a double-points finish with Sainz in 10th and Albon in 9th, Mercedes were left to regroup, their Monaco weekend a stark reminder of the fine margins in Formula 1.

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