Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie face FIA probe following complaints from F1 rivals over alleged conflict of interest first raised by Mail Sport
- The investigation was launched after statements by Mercedes team leader Toto Wolff.
- Susie Wolff works in Formula 1 as Managing Director of the women-only Formula 1 Academy.
- F1 rivals have raised concerns with the FIA over Wolff’s double intervention.
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie are being investigated by the FIA’s compliance department for possible conflicts of interest.
It’s another potential quandary for Wolf as he tries to keep his job after a dismal season.
The 51-year-old Austrian has just received a formal warning from stewards for using foul language at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last month, where he defended the sport’s owners, Liberty Media, before whom his wife Susie, a 40-year-old former racing driver, was given a contract to run the Formula Academy. 1, intended for women only.
He criticized those who doubted the event when practice was delayed because a hatch cover was dislodged and nearly caused serious injury to Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.
The FIA has now taken action on the wider dispute that was raised in Las Vegas.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie are at the center of an FIA investigation.
On Tuesday evening they issued an unprecedented statement, saying: “The FIA is aware of media speculation surrounding a confidential allegation passed to an FIA team principal from an employee of FOM (a reference to the sport’s owners Liberty – Formula 1 Management). The FIA Compliance Department is looking into the matter.”
Mail Sport first reported the potential conflict of interest regarding Wolff’s remarks in Las Vegas in response to my questioning. This issue was expanded upon in Business F1 under the headline “Team principals seek resolution of Wolff’s conflict of interest.”
It is reported (and independently verified by this newspaper) that a number of Wolff’s colleagues have raised concerns with the FIA about the Wolffs’ dual involvement.
The FIA investigation was the latest embarrassment for Lewis Hamilton’s designers this season.
The FOM said: “We note the public statement made by the FIA this evening, which was not communicated to us in advance.
“We have every confidence that the allegations are wrong and we have robust processes in place to ensure that information and responsibility are shared in the event of any potential conflict of interest. We are confident that no member of our team has made any unauthorized disclosure to a team leader and we caution everyone against making careless and serious allegations that have no basis in fact.”
Susie Wolf said she was “deeply offended but unfortunately not surprised by the public allegations” and that the allegations were “rooted in bullying and misogynistic behavior.”
Mercedes said: “We note the general statement from the FIA which responds to the unsubstantiated allegations by one media outlet (Business F1), as well as the unofficial briefing which links it to the Mercedes team principal. We completely reject the allegations and the resulting media coverage, which wrongly impinges on the integrity and compliance of our team leader.”