Investigation after investigation: the FIA has been quite busy lately, servicing and diagnosing the ‘controversial’ issues in the world of Formula One. However, as of today, it finds itself in ‘legal’ hot waters against one of its former employees, Susie Wolff.
Amidst this ‘piping-hot’ turmoil in Formula 1, it is only normal that the interesting question of ‘Who is Susie Wolff?’ arises.
Susie Wolff: Who is the former Scottish driver?
Susie Wolff, a former Scottish racing driver, is the current managing director of the all-female racing series, F1 Academy, and she is also well-known for being the spouse of Mercedes’ Team Principal, Toto Wolff.
Susie Wolff, who is also known as Suzanne, is one of the most recognized female racers in the world of motorsports, with a ‘Top Female Kart Driver’ award under her racing belt. She began her karting career when she was eight years old and competed in various pro-karting competitions, where she grabbed the ‘British Woman Kart Racing Driver’ awards four times in a row.
In the 2001 season, she started her professional single-seater career in the Formula Renault series with the Motaworld racing team. Her run in Formula Renault lasted until 2005, with three podium finishes in the final season. During this time, she won several awards, like the prestigious BRDC ‘Young Driver of the Year’ and ‘Rising Star of the Year’ awards. From 2005 onwards to 2012, she raced in the British Formula 3 and DTM championships, with teams like Mucke Motorsport and Persson Motorsport.
Wolff’s biggest breakthrough in Formula 1 came in 2012, when she was appointed as the development driver for Williams Racing. At Williams, she became the first female racer to take part in a F1 weekend since 1992. Later, in 2016, she joined Mercedes as an ambassador, after retiring in 2015.
After a six-year tenure in Formula One, she joined the Venturi Racing team in Formula E as a team principal. In 2021, she became the CEO of the team, which she served as before leaving the team in 2022.
Following her retirement from motorsports, she was appointed as the managing director of the F1 Academy, where she and her partner, Toto Wolff, got ‘legally’ entangled with the FIA.
Susie Wolff has launched a criminal complaint against the FIA
Back in December of last year, Susie (F1 Academy MD) and Toto Wolff (Mercedes Team Principal) were the subject of a conflict-of-interest lawsuit against the FIA after they were investigated for allegedly sharing confidential information between themselves. These ‘info sharing’ acts were in direct conflict with the FIA’s rules, which restrict information being passed between a team member and a member of Formula One Management (FOM).
However, both parties—Susie and Toto Wolff—strongly denied these allegations, and within 48 hours of the investigation, the FIA called it off without any real proof against the pair. This incident was humiliating and unexpected from the FIA, given they didn’t back up the claims without any solid proof. After the investigation was over, Susie Wolff thought that she and her husband had suffered reputational losses, due to the FIA ‘making imprudent and serious allegations without substance.’
Fast forward to today: Susie Wolff just announced on X that she has filed a criminal complaint against the FIA as a ‘legal’ reaction and backlash for publicly trying to defame her and her husband.
— Susie Wolff (@Susie_Wolff) March 20, 2024
In the official statement on her X account, she wrote, “I can confirm that I have personally filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on the 4 March in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA last December.
“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter.
“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account. Whilst some may think silence absolves them from responsibility – it does not.”
Susie Wolff’s outburst against the FIA comes at a time when her husband, Toto Wolff, is busy with the Mercedes squad at Albert Park for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Is Susie Wolff playing the right cards in her redemption arc against the FIA? Will the FIA ‘legally’ bend to her wills and admit defeat or fight back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
