Former Mercedes leaders reunite in Monaco, sharing heartfelt memories and light-hearted jokes as they reflect on careers beyond Brackley.
Toto Wolff’s former colleagues at Mercedes F1 have climbed the ranks after leaving the German team.
James Vowles, the former strategy director, has become the team principal at Williams F1, while Andy Cowell, the former head of engines, is now the CEO of the Aston Martin F1 team.
Pride, Jokes and Legacy
James Vowles, Andy Cowell, and Toto Wolff came together again for a press conference in Monaco, where they shared a rather friendly and even emotional exchange for the Mercedes F1 boss.
“First of all, Andy and I were exchanging pleasantries at the beginning when we arrived, but for me at least, it is an emotional moment to see you both here.”
Toto Wolff then took a playful jab at his former engine chief.
“I never thought you would be making chassis, because you hated chassis. Right? You are an engine guy!”
“We had such good times, so many victories, such difficult moments, and it is absolutely deserved that you are a CEO. It is a proud moment for Mercedes, I suppose.”
“Andy was one of the strongest managers I have ever seen in my life across all other companies. He also had the human touch and people management, and on the other hand, technical competence.”
Dirty Fingernails, Clean Legacy
“We used to laugh when we had an engine problem, and Andy had his fingers on the pistons and in the cylinder head on a Saturday after qualifying. And I would always say, ‘Are your fingernails dirty?’ Because that meant he was hands-on with what was happening on the engine side. So, yes, absolutely.”
“From my time at Mercedes, I learned from Toto,” confirmed Andy Cowell.
“I learned from Niki Lauda. I learned from Ola Källenius, and there are all these characters you encounter when you’re part of the Mercedes family.”
“And yes, you try to remember the good parts and push and move forward.”
James Vowles and Toto Wolff joke during the press conference
Another pleasant exchange took place between James Vowles and Toto Wolff, the team principals of Williams F1 and Mercedes F1 and former colleagues.
“Toto, probably ten or twelve years ago, took me…”
“British people are not so much into physical contact,” Toto Wolff smiled…
Guided by Toto Wolff
And James Vowles continued, “He took me under his wing and slowly allowed me to take on more and more responsibility within the organization in a way that exposed me to the challenges he deals with daily, but in a safe and positive way.”
“So it went similarly for drivers—drivers into more technical aspects of the company. And there is no doubt about it. I would have sunk without his expertise and guidance beside me.”
“And that is something he does really well, but he is modest and does not talk about it much. But it was a pleasure in those circumstances.”
“There was a moment that is not very well known, but we spent a week together at his place in Austria and it was one of the best weeks of my life. So there are incredible things you can do, as long as you are under Toto’s leadership.”
As for James Vowles, Toto Wolff was not surprised to see him advance elsewhere.
“And James… James could have been team principal at Mercedes if I had not been there. I was in his way.”
“So he chose a different path, and he is doing very well as you can see.”
- Discover More>Leclerc Tops Monaco FP3 as Hamilton Crashes at Massenet
- Following us on>Facebook and>Twitter