Toto Wolff reveals remarkable Williams gesture during Monaco debacle

Toto Wolff shared a text message Williams team principal James Vowles sent him during the Monaco Grand Prix to apologise for the strategy employed by the Grove-based squad.

In an ultimately successful bid to secure a double points finish in Monte Carlo, Carlos Sainz and then Alex Albon backed up George Russell and Kimi Antonelli during the 78 lap race.

In doing so, it afforded both FW47 drivers the necessary time to complete their two mandatory pit stops and stay in the final two points positions, where they remained at the chequered flag.

Growing fed up with the tactics used by Williams pair, Russell passed Albon by cutting the Nouvelle Chicane, a move that earned him a drive-through penalty from the stewards.

Antonelli followed suit, but handed back the position when informed of the punishment his team-mate had been given.

It was a ploy Vowles was not happy about committing, but the Briton maintained it was a consequence of the regulations - and the Racing Bulls ahead starting the team play.

"'I'm sorry. We had no choice given what happened ahead'," Wolff said, reading the text sent by Vowles aloud to media including RacingNews365.

"I answered: 'We know'," explained the Mercedes team principal.

Whilst it made for a frustrating afternoon for Wolff, the 53-year-old insisted his Williams counterpart was only doing what he "had to do" to ensure a double points-paying result.

"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," the Austrian replied when asked if he appreciated Vowles reaching out.

"He had to do it, you know, it's two cars in the points, and I think that what started it [all] was the RBs [Racing Bulls] that pegged us back off, and that's what he had to do."