Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, and his wife Susie Wolff, the managing director of the F1 Academy, are being investigated by the FIA. The governing body of the sport is looking into allegations that the couple passed confidential information to each other.
Mercedes’ Formula 1 rivals have come together to deny making complaints to the FIA about alleged sharing of confidential information between Mercedes’ team boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie Wolff, who is the head of the F1 Academy.
The FIA, which is the governing body of Formula 1, has started an investigation into the behavior of the two individuals. They have stated that their compliance department is looking into the matter.
Susie Wolff, managing director of Formula One Management’s all-female series, has refuted the accusations as “deeply insulting” and stemming from “misogynistic” behavior.
The FIA denies any suggestion that their investigation is motivated by misogyny. They state that they are simply following proper procedures. Sources within the governing body have indicated that more than one team principal in Formula 1 expressed concerns about the Wolffs.
With F1 and Mercedes denying the allegations on Tuesday, the other nine teams joined together on Wednesday evening to release a statement on social media, denying the submission of a complaint.
The statement said: “We can confirm that we have not made any complaint to the FIA regarding the allegation of information of a confidential nature being passed between an F1 Team Principal and a member of FOM staff.
“We are pleased and proud to support F1 Academy and its managing director through our commitment to sponsor an entrant in our liveries from next season.”
Speaking on Sky Sports News earlier on Wednesday, Red Bull chief Christian Horner said that neither his team nor their junior squad AlphaTauri had submitted an official complaint. He also expressed surprise at the statement made by the FIA.
“We have a big rivalry [with Mercedes] on track but we haven’t raised any official complaint either about Susie or Toto or Mercedes to the FIA.
“In fact, Red Bull has been the team that has got most involved with F1 Academy since its inception, to the point that between the two Red Bull-owned teams, we’ll be entering three cars in 2024. So we’ve been working closely with Susie, who’s been doing a great job on F1 Academy.
“So I think we, like others, were quite surprised by the statement that came out last night, but it certainly wasn’t instigated or required or set off by Red Bull.
“We’ve not raised any official complaint or made any requests to the FIA or to FOM.
“As far as the other teams, I can’t talk on behalf of others. This is an FIA thing, they’ve taken this action, but as I say, certainly nothing to do with Red Bull.”
Discussions happened between FIA and FOM on Wednesday. F1 received a letter, but Mercedes hasn’t received any correspondence from the governing body regarding the investigation.
In response to the FIA’s press statement, both F1 and Mercedes released statements. F1 claimed that the FIA investigation was based on “imprudent and serious allegations without substance.”
Wolff, the last woman to drive in an F1 practice session and the managing director of F1 Academy, addressed the allegations directly on her Instagram account.
“I am deeply insulted but sadly unsurprised by the public allegations that have been made this evening,” she wrote.
“It is disheartening that my integrity is being called into question in such a manner, especially when it seems to be rooted in intimidatory and misogynistic behaviour, and focused on my marital status rather than my abilities.
“Throughout my career in motorsport, I have encountered and overcome numerous obstacles and I refuse to let these baseless allegations overshadow my dedication and passion for F1 Academy.
“As a woman in this sport, I have faced my fair share of challenges but my commitment to breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations to succeed remains unwavering.
“In the strongest possible terms, I reject these allegations.”
Since 2013, Toto Wolff has led Mercedes and achieved immense success. Under his guidance, the team has won eight consecutive constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021.
A Mercedes statement said: “We note the generic statement from the FIA this evening, which responds to unsubstantiated allegations from a single media outlet, and the off-record briefing which has linked it to the team principal of Mercedes-AMG F1.
“The team has received no communication from the FIA Compliance Department on this topic and it was highly surprising to learn of the investigation through a media statement.
“We wholly reject the allegation in the statement and associated media coverage, which wrongly impinges on the integrity and compliance of our team principal.
“As a matter of course, we invite full, prompt, and transparent correspondence from the FIA Compliance Department regarding this investigation and its contents.”
Formula 1 offered an equally robust denial of any wrongdoing having occurred, saying: “We note the public statement made by the FIA this evening that was not shared with us in advance.
“We have complete confidence that the allegations are wrong, and we have robust processes and procedures that ensure the segregation of information and responsibilities in the event of any potential conflict of interest.
“We are confident that no member of our team has made any unauthorised disclosure to a team principal and would caution anyone against making imprudent and serious allegations without substance.”
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