Executive director of the F1 Academy project files criminal complaint against the Formula 1 regulatory body
Susie Wolff, executive director of the pioneering F1 Academy project, an all-female category, sued the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in response to accusations made against her and her husband, Toto Wolff, head of the Mercedes team, in December of the year past.
The FIA alleged a conflict of interest and that there was an exchange of confidential and privileged information that would result in mutual benefit between the team leader and the person responsible.
At issue would be the fact that Susie Wolff had access to confidential information about the activities of Formula 1 Management (FOM), particularly useful for predicting what could be decided in the future and which other team leaders did not have. The suspicion arose after a meeting of team directors in which Toto Wolff revealed something that allegedly only elements directly linked to the FOM structure would have access to.
The accusations were considered unfounded 48 hours after the investigation began, as there was insufficient evidence, and the marital relationship between the two was not sufficient to prove the existence of a conflict of interest. Susie Wolff stated that her reputation is now in question even after she was cleared, as the FIA conducted the entire process in a public manner. With this, she announced on her social networks that on March 4th she filed a complaint with the French courts.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has already expressed support for the legal action, speaking to the Daily Mail. “I’m incredibly proud of Susie Wolff, I think she’s brave. She IS a great leader. In a world where people are often silenced, it’s so important that she stands up and takes action.”
Before taking on the role of executive director of the F1 Academy, Susie Wolff was the first woman to take part in an F1 weekend in 22 years after making a name for herself in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) between 2006 and 2012.