F1, FIA investigation into Toto Wolff and Susie Wolff

Toto Wolff and his wife, Susie Stoddart, are under investigation by the International Automobile Federation. The suspicion, reported by other teams, is a conflict of interest, as revealed by BusinessF1 magazine. Stoddart is responsible for the F1 Academy, the FOM women’s championship (not affiliated with the FIA), for which she reports to Stefano Domenicali. The manager therefore has access to information that she suspects she may have passed on to her husband, who as is known is the Mercedes team principal. Yesterday the FIA ​​issued a rather vague statement of just a few lines, in which you spoke of an investigation into a team principal, but without mentioning any of the Wolff spouses. “The FIA ​​is aware of media speculation surrounding an allegation that information of a confidential nature was passed to an F1 team manager by a member of FOM staff. The department is looking into the matter.”

reaction f1

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A statement that triggered inevitable reactions from Mercedes, Susie Wolff and Fom itself. This is what F1 says, rather harshly: “We take note of the public statement made by the FIA, which was not shared with us in advance – we read in a note – we have full confidence that the accusations are unfounded and we have solid processes and procedures in place that guarantee separation of information and responsibility in the event of a potential conflict of interest. We are confident that no member of our staff is responsible for unauthorized disclosure of information to a team principal and would caution anyone against making reckless and serious allegations without merit.”

the mercedes replica

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Mercedes has rejected all accusations, declaring that it has not received any formal communication from the FIA’s investigation department on the matter: “We take note of the FIA’s generic statement, which responds to unfounded accusations from a single media outlet, and of the unofficial briefing which linked to the Mercedes-AMG F1 team principal – reads the Mercedes note – The team has not received any communication from the FIA ​​Compliance Department on this matter and it was very surprising to learn of the investigation through a media statement. “allegations contained in the statement and related media coverage, which negatively impact the integrity and fairness of our team principal. We invite the FIA ​​Compliance Department to complete, timely and transparent correspondence regarding this investigation and its contents.”

susie’s reply

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Susie Wolff said she was “deeply offended but sadly not surprised by the public allegations that have been made. It is disheartening that my integrity is being called into question in this way, especially when this appears to be traced back to intimidating and misogynistic behavior and a focus on my marital status rather than my abilities. Throughout my career in motorsport, I have encountered and overcome numerous obstacles and I refuse to let these unfounded accusations cloud my dedication and passion for F1 Academy. As a woman in the sport, I have faced “My fair share of challenges, but my commitment to breaking down barriers and paving the way for success for future generations remains unwavering. In the most extreme terms, I reject these accusations.”