Through Legal Action Toto Wolff Wants $109 Million Compensation and Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s Resignation, Claims Report

The FIA’s decision to investigate Susie and Toto Wolff for a potential conflict of interest has undoubtedly infuriated the F1 power couple. According to reports, Toto is now keen to take legal action against FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The report also adds that he will seek as much as a whopping $109 million in compensation and demand Ben Sulayem’s resignation.

As per Formula Passion‘s report that cites Corriere dello Sport, “The most powerful family in Formula 1 is willing to take legal action. The hypothesis had already been aired by the two official press releases released by both, separately, in recent days, and it gained even more traction after the interview given by the Mercedes team principal to the German Bild”.

: Rumors suggest that the investigation into Toto and Susie Wolff might stem from a personal feud between Toto Wolff and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Allegedly, Ben Sulayem is displeased with statements made by Wolff on crucial Formula 1 matters, leading to a contentious… pic.twitter.com/tCxy6rvA8l

— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) December 7, 2023

It is pertinent to mention that all the rest of the nine teams, despite the on-track rivalry with Mercedes, stood firmly with the Wolffs through the controversy. They ruled out initiating the inquiry that alleged the passing of sensitive information between a FOM official and a team principal.

Until Wednesday, it was Susie who took the attack to the FIA while Toto maintained silence. However, the Mercedes boss came out all guns blazing in the interview with Bild, alleging a “personal attack” by the FIA that “crossed the red line”. Going by Toto’s harsh response, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the pair goes ahead with the reported legal action.

Susie and Toto Wolff double down on attack against the FIA

FIA initiating the inquiry met serious backlash from Susie Wolff. The F1 Academy boss dubbed it an attack on her integrity that found its roots in misogyny.

While Toto Wolff did not release a statement, Mercedes did and ruled out any malpractice. Soon, the ruling body withdrew the investigation, but that wasn’t enough for Susie. In a statement released on social media, she made her intentions for a “follow-up” clear.

A day after the withdrawal of the inquiry, Lewis Hamilton also shared his thoughts about the controversy. During the FIA prize-giving gala, the seven-time champion lent his support to the Wolffs. He called FIA’s behavior “unacceptable” and demanded a change in the leadership. Meanwhile, Susie and Toto launched an attack of their own.

A part of Susie’s statement on social media read, “I have received online abuse about my work and my family. I will not allow myself to be intimated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media.” 

On the other hand, Toto told Sport Bild in a recent interview, “In Formula 1 you fight with your elbows out. I have thick skin and I can tolerate it. But when people pick on my family, it’s on another level. It was a personal attack that crossed the red line.”

pic.twitter.com/nkCNDkotb1

— Susie Wolff (@Susie_Wolff) December 8, 2023

The controversy, as per Business F1, started when an individual with “a history of conflict with Wolff” claimed the team bosses were upset with confidential information being passed between a FOM official and a team principal. Although the report did not mention any names, the assumption was that the unnamed FOM official was Susie while the unnamed team principal was Toto.