"You're getting there, the shirt is proper": When Toto Wolff joked with his former Mercedes deputy James Vowles

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff jokingly told newly appointed Williams team principal James Vowles that his shirt looked in good condition, while the two sat together in 2023 during an appearance in the sixth season of Netflix's Drive to Survive. The Brit worked under Wolff as a strategist at the Silver Arrows and had been at the team since 2010.

Before the commencement of the 2023 season, Williams announced that Mercedes veteran James Vowles would be replacing their outgoing team principal Jost Capito. The British engineer had never led a team before but claimed that he took up this opportunity as he was getting too comfortable at Mercedes.

Vowles worked as the Chief Strategist at Brackley since 2010 and was taken under Wolff's wing when the German joined the team in 2013. He was promoted to Motorsport Strategy Director in 2019 before eventually leaving in 2023.

The Brit sat down with his former boss in 2023 as their meeting was recorded for season 6 of Netflix's Drive to Survive. Wolff poked fun at Vowles, saying:

“James, you know, do this [adjusts sleeves] You need to learn this. But you’re getting there, the shirt is proper,” Wolff said [4:20 onwards].

James Vowles was touted as Toto Wolff's potential successor at Mercedes after working closely as his number two. However, a further promotion didn't materialize as Vowles ended up as Williams' team chief.

Since taking over in 2023, Vowles has overseen a revival of the legendary F1 team as they finished 7th in the constructors' table in his first season, their best since 2017. The Brit has also mentioned that he aims to make Williams fight for wins by 2028 after signing Carlos Sainz for the 2025 season.

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Toto Wolff expects familiar inconsistencies from 2025 Mercedes car

Toto Wolff at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Mercedes struggled with a highly inconsistent car in 2024 and Toto Wolff has said that he expects to face similar fluctuations with the performance of their W16 challenger in the upcoming 2025 season. The Silver Arrows will step into the new season with a shuffled driver pairing that will see 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli partner up with George Russell.

Speaking to the German publication Auto Motor und Sport, Wolff has explained that he expects to see similar performances from other teams as well in the 2025 season (as quoted by Crash.net):

“We won’t be able to get rid of these fluctuations completely. We will also see them next year with all the teams,” Wolff said.

“All four teams that won races [in 2024] have experienced these ups and downs,” he added, claiming all top teams struggled with inconsistency in the 2024 season.

Toto Wolff will be hoping to see an improvement from Mercedes' 2024 performance as the team finished 4th in the constructors' table, with a considerable gap to the top three. The Silver Arrows have looked nowhere near their formidable best since the new regulations kicked in in 2022.