On the 4th of March, Susie Wolff confirmed her decision to file a criminal complaint against the FIA in French courts. This bold move comes in response to the statements made against her during the tumultuous events of last December, further complicating an already convoluted narrative.
In a dramatic turn of events, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) had opened an investigation against Susie Wolff and Toto Wolff last December after the end of the 2023 F1 championship.
FIA Compliance Department would be probing allegations of confidential information exchange between an F1 team principal and a member of Formula One Management (FOM). The allegations hinted at a dubious scenario where Toto Wolff, in his dual role as Team Principal of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and CEO, and Susie Wolff, in her capacity as managing director of the F1 Academy, may have had access to privileged information, potentially undermining the integrity of the sport.
Claims of impropriety gained traction, fueled by previous incidents, such as Toto Wolff’s breach of confidentiality during the Singapore Grand Prix in 2022.
In that case, he divulged details of the 2021 Cost Cap audit, reportedly sourced from Shalia Ann Rao, the interim general secretary for motorsport at the FIA and a close associate of Toto Wolff. This disclosure constituted a significant breach of confidentiality, granting him access to information before it reached Red Bull, thereby adversely affecting the Austrian team. The incident proved to be an embarrassment for Ben Sulayem, marking the first crisis of his presidency.
While Rao faced consequences, with her subsequent dismissal, concerns linger among Team Principals (TPs). The situation involving Susie Wolff appears to carry more weight, as indicated by the magazine’s analysis.
The accusation sent shockwaves through the paddock and Susie Wolff herself, condemned the allegations as rooted in “intimidatory and misogynistic behavior,” shedding light on the broader challenges faced by women in motorsport and her work with F1 Academy.
The other teams, in a rare display of unity, rallied behind the F1 Academy’s CEO, vehemently refuting any involvement in lodging complaints against the Wolffs.
The FIA and F1, taking note of the press releases issued by the teams, have dropped all accusations and the investigation opened on Susie Wolff, with a statement released two days after initiating the inquiry: “Following a review of Formula One Management’s F1 Code of Conduct and F1 Conflict of Interest Policy and confirmation that appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts, the FIA is satisfied that FOM’s compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.”
An intriguing aspect of Susie Wolff’s decision to lodge a complaint against the FIA is her choice of venue: a criminal court. This strategic move carries significant implications, as it removes the investigation from the realm of internal scrutiny within the FIA. By opting for legal recourse in a criminal court, Susie Wolff effectively bypasses the potential for bias or conflict of interest that may arise from the FIA investigating itself.