Toto Wolff sends Williams F1 boss ‘lucky bastard’ gift after Baku podium

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff sent Williams boss James Vowles
a present following Carlos Sainz's podium at the Azerbaijan Grand
Prix. After starting the race on the front row of the grid
alongside pole-sitter Max Verstappen, Sainz was beaten in the pit
stop phase of the race by George Russell. However, the Spaniard had
enough pace in hand to come home in third place and bag Williams'
first podium since the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. It is also the
first podium Williams has scored under Vowles' tenure after the
Briton left his senior position at Mercedes in early 2023. Having
worked closely with Wolff for several years during Mercedes'
championship-winning years, the duo are known to share a close
friendship. Wolff took the opportunity to poke fun at his former
colleague's achievement on Sunday evening with a gif and a cheeky
message. The gift included a bottle of champagne and some
chocolate. See the post below! 1969799508239286701 Vamos,
@WilliamsRacing 💪 Congrats on the smooth operation today. Enjoy the
goodies 🙌🍫🍾 pic.twitter.com/cDlo1m7n7k — Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1
Team (@MercedesAMGF1) September 21, 2025