Toto Wolff and his wife, Susie Wolff have come into the light following the 2023 season. The FIA has launched an investigation after certain reports were published in the media. However, there has not been any concrete proof yet,
Toto Wolff and Susie Wolff have been accused of sharing confidential information. Susie Wolff works for F1 as the managing director for the F1 academy which was inaugurated in 2023. According to reports from the media, certain team principals believe that Toto Wolff has access to confidential F1 information.
FIA launches investigation on the Wolff family
As the Managing Director of F1 Academy, Susie Wolff reports directly to F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali. As a top representative of F1, Susie will have access to certain classified information. However, there is no proof that classified information was shared with her husband, Toto Wolff. The couple has been married since 2011. While the 2 share a long and personal history, they have also professionally conducted themselves.
Toto Wolff has been the team principal for Mercedes since the 2013 season. Since then, the team has won 8 WCCs and 7 WDCs. There is no doubt that he has led the team to success. However, in recent times, the team has been struggling with performance.
The FIA have opened a compliance investigation into a potential conflict of interest between Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie. pic.twitter.com/1PmC6goO09
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 5, 2023
Apparently, the F1 team bosses are concerned that Toto Wolff is using his relationship with Susie Wolff to get classified information. This concern came to light when Toto made a certain comment during a team principals’ meeting. After this, the FIA released the following statement.
“The FIA is aware of media speculation centered on the allegation of information of a confidential nature being passed to an F1 team principal from a member of FOM personnel. The FIA Compliance Department is looking into the matter.”
This investigation came as a surprise to the Wolff family and even F1. Formula 1 has stated that they have complete confidence that the allegations were false. This investigation has also put FIA’s relationship with F1 at risk. There are reports suggesting that F1 could break away from the FIA. It would be interesting if this happens.
Who accused Toto Wolff and Susie Wolff of transfer of confidential information?
According to reports, there were multiple team bosses who suspected this. However, there is no name that has been announced by the media. Based on history, it is fair to assume that Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner was a part of this.
Team Statement pic.twitter.com/aUiOxteF9o
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 5, 2023
Mercedes and Red Bull have a very interesting history together. They have had several arguments in the past. One of these arguments was featured in season 5 of Drive to Survive on Netflix. However, we cannot be certain that it was Horner.
Mercedes’ other rivals such as Ferrari and McLaren could also be a part of this. Basically, no team can be ruled out. An investigation purely based on media is unusual for the FIA. There is a lot at stake here. It will be interesting to see how it turns out for the FIA, FOM, and the Wolff family.