Susie Wolff, the F1 Academy’s all-female series general manager, has filed a criminal complaint against Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, accusing her and her husband, Mercedes team principal Toto Toto Wolff was charged last year. was found to be unfounded.
Wolff and her husband were the subject of a conflict of interest investigation launched by the FIA in December 2023 following allegations that a team member and a member of the sport’s owner Formula 1 Management (FOM) Confidential information is being passed between them. The story centers on Toto Wolff and his wife, who are in charge of the F1 Academy, the series owned and operated by FOM.
Both sides strongly denied the allegation, and the FIA concluded within 48 hours of opening its investigation that neither side had questions to answer.
Wolff made it clear at the time that she believed her and her husband’s reputations had suffered huge damage as a result of the FIA’s investigation and its publicity. On Wednesday, she made it clear she would discuss the matter further in a social media post.
She wrote: “I can confirm that I personally filed a criminal complaint with a French court on March 4 regarding the FIA’s remarks against me in December last year.” “The conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter remains unclear. There is no transparency or accountability.
“I feel it is more important than ever to stand up, call out inappropriate behavior and ensure people are held accountable. While some may think silence absolves them of responsibility, this is not the case.”
The results of the investigation sparked almost immediate backlash across F1. The next day, all nine other F1 teams issued virtually identical statements confirming they had no complaints about the messaging and expressing their unanimous support for the F1 Academy in what was certainly an unprecedented move.
This incident and the FIA’s subsequent concessions are a disgrace to the governing body, especially given that it has not explained the rationale behind its actions.
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FIA clear president
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Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, has cleared its president Mohammed ben Sulayem of two violations that interfered with the 2023 grand prix season, following an investigation by the FIA’s compliance officer and its six-person ethics body. accusation. However, they have not released any details or evidence from the investigation.
A whistleblower has lodged an allegation with the FIA that Ben Sulayem interfered with decisions on two sporting events in 2023. The first was at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he mediated against the stewards’ decision to impose a penalty on Fernando Alonso and had them overturn the decision, which subsequently placed Alonso on the podium.
The second is that, ahead of last year’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, he requested that the new track not be homologated for racing. Officials allegedly ignored the request and granted the certification.
The claims were made public in leaked documents, but the FIA statement said it had found no evidence of presidential interference.
“After reviewing the findings, the Ethics Committee unanimously concluded that there was no evidence to substantiate the allegations of interference of any kind involving FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem.”
They concluded that the investigation, conducted by FIA compliance officers and reviewed by the ethics committee, lasted 30 days and included interviews with 11 witnesses before reaching a conclusive decision.
“The allegations against the FIA President are unsubstantiated and provide strong evidence beyond reasonable doubt to support the decision of the FIA Ethics Committee,” the statement read.
However, no details of the charges were released, nor was any evidence to refute them. With the sport under intense pressure to show transparency in light of recent allegations against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, there may be some unease within F1 as the FIA itself has launched an internal investigation but has not provided any details. and why we have reached this conclusion.
The decision to investigate appears to have been prompted by an unconfirmed media report that Wolfe made comments that could only be obtained through information from FOM personnel. The FIA cited “media speculation” on the issue as part of its rationale for the investigation, but there is little information beyond this single source.
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The response to this was swift. Mercedes joined Wolff in staunchly condemning the investigation, which he called “insulting” and rooted in “intimidation and misogynistic behavior.” The FOM was equally tough, warning against “making frivolous and serious accusations without substance”.
The FIA has not issued an apology or any further explanation for its actions since the incident, citing its policy not to publicly reveal details of complaints or its assessment of complaints.
In the case brought by Wolf, the embattled agency will face intense scrutiny of its policies and practices. Earlier on Wednesday, the company announced it had concluded an investigation into allegations that its president, Mohammed bin Sulayem, interfered with racial complaints and fully exonerated him, but again did not reveal any details of the proceedings or complaints.
