Toto Wolff has described his wife Susie as “unemotional” and “pragmatic” as the F1 Academy managing director takes the FIA to court.
An unfounded rumor late last year claimed that secret information was passed between Susie and Toto, resulting in an apparent conflict of interest between Formula One Management (FOM) and Mercedes. Other team principals were said to be disturbed by comments made by Toto in a meeting, based on information obtained from FOM.
The FIA initiated and immediately ended an investigation into the matter, but Susie highlighted the online abuse perpetrated on her family, as well as the sport’s governing body’s lack of transparency. On Wednesday, she revealed that she had filed a criminal complaint in France, where the FIA is headquartered.
“First and foremost, Susie is a strong woman who does not take anything from anyone and has always stuck to her convictions and values, which is the case here,” Mercedes chief Wolff told Sky Sports at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday.
“She’s really calm and pragmatic about it. She believes that something was done wrong, and the court should hear about it. Nothing will deter her from continuing on that road. This is how her character is.
“It is true that we have been discussing incidents of transparency and other issues that are simply not acceptable over the past year. This is what Lewis Hamilton was referring to.”
During a media session in Melbourne on Thursday, Mercedes driver Hamilton also endorsed Susie.
Toto went on to say, “I believe Susie began that process many months ago, she has done it very methodically in my opinion, and it will continue all the way.
“I believe it is most important for her to find out what happened, that individuals accept ownership and responsibility, and that things are not swept under the carpet. I believe we as a sport must do so in all areas, whether it is Susie’s situation or one of the other teams.
“Overall, this sport has a large platform and is performing quite well. Maybe we should move it out of the realm of our sport and into the real world and see what happens.”
When asked if he believes it will be a watershed moment in F1, Wolff replied, “No, I don’t think there is such a thing as a watershed moment.
“I just think that at a certain stage we shouldn’t be just getting those hits and accepting them in all areas, to make this sport as transparent as it should be considering its importance in the world.”
