The FIA launched an investigation on F1 Academy Director Susie Wolff and her husband Toto Wolff in 2023, which shocked the community and in some ways united them all against the governing body of the sport. The investigation was deemed to be due to a ‘conflict of interest,’ as both she and Toto work in the same industry, but almost everyone found these allegations absurd. In a recent interview, Toto revealed how all the Team Principals rallied behind him and his wife, promising to go public against the FIA — all except Christian Horner.
“I didn’t make a single phone call to any team. Fred took it into his hands and said: ‘This is just so unfair’. From Guenther Steiner to James Vowles, everybody jumped on to this. They were all ready, but for Christian, to sign a document in our support,” the Mercedes boss said to The Guardian.
| Toto Wolff reveals that all F1 Team Principals except Christian Horner came together to sign a document in support of Susie Wolff when the FIA launched a baseless investigation against her :
“I didn’t make a single phone call to any team. Fred took it into his hands and… pic.twitter.com/ASvZRPAvSS
— sim (@sim3744) November 20, 2024
Horner, the Team Principal of Red Bull, has had a long-standing rivalry with Toto and Mercedes for some time now. However, Toto’s statements suggested that he expected Horner to put their animosity aside, as the investigation was non-sporting — it was personal. Toto added how Horner distanced himself from it until the other nine Team Principals let him know that it wouldn’t look good.
This revelation doesn’t paint Horner in a particularly good light, especially with off-track scandals surrounding his behavior with a Red Bull employee breaking the headlines earlier this year. For Toto and Susie, thankfully, the investigation went nowhere.
Susie’s defiant stance against the FIA
Although the FIA dropped their investigation, Susie decided not to let the governing body get away with this fiasco and decided to pursue legal action in March 2024. She filed a criminal complaint to courts in France, describing the comments made by the sporting authorities against her as false and distasteful.
“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behavior, and make sure people are held to account. While some may think silence absolves them from responsibility, it does not,” she said in a statement.
Since then, the FIA hasn’t made any public comment against her, as she continues to head the all-female racing series competing under the F1 umbrella. A trailblazer for women in motorsports, Susie’s actions both on and off the track have inspired many.
