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Published21. March 2024, 10:58
FIA sued: After serious mole allegations: Susie Wolff hits back
The secret affair in Formula 1 is not over yet. The wife of Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is filing a criminal complaint against the world motorsport association. She demands accountability.
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Now Susie Wolff is fighting back.
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The head of the female Formula 1 junior series is taking legal action against the world motorsport association FIA.
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The reason for this are allegations against her from last December.
After the fuss surrounding investigations into alleged betrayal of secrets, the head of the female Formula 1 junior series, Susie Wolff, is taking legal action against the world motorsport association FIA. As the wife of Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff announced on social media, she filed a criminal complaint with the French courts on March 4th because of the FIA’s statements about her from last December.
“There is still no transparency or accountability because of the behavior of the FIA and employees in this matter,” wrote the 41-year-old. “I think it is more important than ever to stand up, denounce inappropriate behavior and ensure that people are held accountable.”
The accusation: alleged betrayal of secrets
At the beginning of December last year, the FIA examined media reports alleging that confidential information had been leaked to a Formula 1 team boss by an employee of the Formula 1 rights holder. The background was a report by a specialist portal about an alleged conflict of interest between Toto Wolff and his wife, about which other Formula 1 officials allegedly complained to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Intimidation and misogyny as the cause?
Accordingly, Susie Wolff, who is employed as managing director of the Formula 1 Academy by the Formula 1 marketer FOM, is said to have access to confidential knowledge from the top of the racing series and allegedly shared this with her husband. In return, Toto Wolff may have informed his wife about conversations between the team bosses, so that this information in turn reached the rights holder.
The former racing driver Susie Wolff, married to the Austrian Toto Wolff since 2011, expressed the suspicion that attempted intimidation and misogyny were the motives behind the allegations.
Shortly after the investigation became known, the nine other teams in the premier motorsport class published largely identical statements in which they assured that they had not lodged any complaints with the world association about a possible conflict of interest.
Online hate against Susie Wolff
Just two days after the investigation was published, the FIA closed it again. The world association said that “suitable protective measures are in place to defuse potential conflicts”. The association is also convinced that the FOM’s compliance system is “robust enough to prevent unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.”
Susie Wolff then reported that she had become a victim of hate online. “I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to pursue the matter once I have identified who instigated this campaign and misled the media,” the Scot wrote at the time.
Lewis Mercedes supports Susie Wolff.
AFP
Lewis Hamilton stands up for Wolff
On Thursday, Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton was asked about Susie Wolff’s lawsuit against the FIA during a press round before the Australian Grand Prix. He said: “Susie is a real leader in a world where people are increasingly silent. I love that she takes action because there is often a lack of responsibility in this world.”
He continued: “Hopefully this stance that Susie is taking now will bring about change. We live in a time where the message is: If you complain, you will be fired!” That is a terrible message.
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(DPA/NIH)
