The FIA recently witnessed a mass departure of three key figures. Those included the single-seater technical director, Tim Goss, the head of the women’s commission, Deborah Mayer, and the Sporting Director, Steve Nielsen. Toto Wolff sees a concerning pattern in the high-profile ousters and has raised the alarm over FIA’s functioning.
Speaking with The Telegraph recently, the Mercedes boss said, “What the FIA needs is stability, we are talking about one of the three main players in this sport. The leaders of these organizations must set an example for everyone else. You don’t just have to say you act transparently and ethically. We actually have to meet this standard every single day.”
Nielsen is one of the most experienced campaigners in the sport. Before the FIA Sporting Director job, the Briton served Benetton in the same capacity for a decade. He also worked with Toro Rosso, Williams, and Renault before taking up the Sporting Director position at F1. After spending more than 5 years there, he made the switch to the FIA in January 2023. His tenure with the governing body lasted just 11 months.
Wolff, who has had his fair share of run-ins with the FIA, raised questions over its work culture. The Mercedes boss urged the regulating body to introspect over the high-profile departures and make necessary changes to ensure stability.
Toto Wolff and FIA don’t see eye to eye anymore
FIA recently created a massive storm by launching an investigation over an alleged case of malpractice. A reported case of sharing of sensitive information between a team principal and an F1 official surfaced. Owing to Toto’s status as Mercedes team principal and his wife Susie Wolff being F1 Academy’s Managing Director, fingers were pointed at the couple.
However, a sharp retort from the Wolffs and the unanimous stand taken by the entire grid against the FIA saw the inquiry halt within 24 hours. The ruling body ruled out any findings of professional misconduct in its clarification.
The Wolffs, however, continued their onslaught against the FIA. While Susie revealed how hurt she was by the ‘personal attack’ and the question over her professional integrity, Toto dubbed it as an attack on his family. Both vowed to take action against the ruling body in their statements. Toto went as far as disclosing his intention to launch a lawsuit.
The FIA has also come under attack over Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s conduct. The FIA President caused a major skirmish with F1 by dubbing its potential $20 billion sale as “inflated”. Later, he sided with Andretti over potential entry into the sport, against the wishes of F1 and most of the teams.
