Formula 1 teams deny having any issues with the Wolffs and the F1 Academy
New twist in the illegal conflict of interest case involving the couple Toto and Susie Wolff, on whom the FIA announced having launched an investigation, following complaints received from team principals regarding secret information that the Mercedes team principal allegedly possesses. However, yesterday, all nine teams on the grid denied having lodged complaints with the FIA.
The first team to deny the allegations was of course Mercedes. They were the first to react in defense of their team principal against the FIA’s investigation and suspicions on Toto Wolff. In a strong statement released on Tuesday evening, Mercedes denied the allegations against Wolff and demanded full transparency from the FIA on what was happening: “« Naturally, we request complete, prompt, and transparent correspondence from the FIA’s compliance department regarding this investigation and its contents. »”
Following this accusation, the Formula 1 teams have come together to deny that any of them complained to the FIA regarding allegations that sparked a compliance investigation against Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie, who is the executive director of the F1 Academy.
In its statement, the FIA declared that its compliance investigation had been prompted by speculations in the media, which referred to an article from the magazine BusinessF1, while sources within the governing body indicated that there had been complaints from team directors.
But the suggestions that team principals were opposed to seem to have been false, with all of Mercedes’ rivals stating that they were not involved in any complaints. In a coordinated effort to show their support for Susie Wolff in particular, the teams all released nearly identical statements on Wednesday evening, clearly stating that they were not the initiators of the FIA’s actions.
The team statements were all delivered uniformly on social media on Wednesday evening. Alfa Romeo Sauber, AlphaTauri, Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, Williams, and Haas all issued the same message. The only team missing is Mercedes, who has not issued a statement. The statements indicate: “« We can confirm that we have not filed any complaint with the FIA regarding the allegation of confidential information exchanged between an F1 team principal and a member of the FOM staff »”
“We are happy and proud to support the F1 Academy and its general manager through our commitment to sponsor a participant in our livery starting from next season,” they declared.
Earlier in the day, Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull, known for having had difficult moments with Toto Wolff in the past, also stated that his team had not officially filed anything with the FIA.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Horner said: “« Listen, we have a great rivalry on the track, but we have not lodged any official complaints, whether it be regarding Susie, Toto, or Mercedes, with the FIA ».”
« In fact, Red Bull has been the team that has been most involved in the F1 Academy since its creation, to the point that between the two teams owned by Red Bull, we will be fielding three cars. We are working closely with Susie who is doing an excellent job on the F1 Academy. »
« So, I think that we, like others, were quite surprised by the statement released last night. But it certainly wasn’t prompted, requested, or triggered by Red Bull ».
The almost unprecedented unity in response to the allegations among the teams will likely put pressure on the FIA to provide an explanation for what motivated its decision to involve the compliance department.
Wednesday evening, it appears that Mercedes has not yet received any official correspondence from the FIA regarding the investigation, even though the FIA had decided to release a statement to the media on Tuesday evening.
On her side, Susie Wolff explained on social media that she refutes these allegations: “I am deeply insulted but nevertheless not surprised by the allegations made. It is discouraging that my integrity is being questioned in this manner, especially when it is based on intimidating and misogynistic behavior, and focuses on my marital status rather than my skills. I refuse to let these unfounded allegations overshadow my dedication and passion for the Formula 1 Academy. In the strongest possible terms, I reject these allegations.”
It is the print magazine BusinessF1 that has revealed this information, which for now seems to be only at the stage of an investigation by the FIA. The FIA has not directly communicated about the investigation at this stage.
« The FIA is aware of the media speculations surrounding the allegation that confidential information may have been passed on to an F1 team principal by a FOM staff member. The FIA’s Compliance Department is investigating this matter. »
