Susie Wolff puts an end to rumors of her being a candidate for the FIA
Susie Wolff, who leads the F1 Academy, does not plan to run in the next election for the presidency of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
The rumor had been launched by the Italian media Autosprint, which claimed that Sussie Wolff was considering challenging Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who succeeded Jean Todt in December 2021.
The same media added that a brief and controversial investigation for alleged conflict of interest involving the Wolffs in 2023 could have been triggered by suspicions regarding the former driver’s presidential ambitions.
When asked about this possible candidacy, the former Formula 1 driver, Johnny Herbert, supported the idea: Susie Wolff challenging Mohammed Ben Sulayem should not be a problem. She has extensive experience as a driver in various forms of motorsport, from her time at Williams and driving F1 cars, to the DTM series, the German touring cars series, he said.
The former Williams test driver, heavily involved in the inclusion of women in motorsport, seems fully dedicated to her role leading the F1 Academy and does not intend to abandon it. Some believe that Toto Wolff’s position as director of Mercedes F1 could pose a problem for a potential candidacy of Susie Wolff for the presidency of the FIA, due to a possible conflict of interest.
In 2023, Susie and Toto Wolff were the subjects of an FIA investigation regarding allegations of a conflict of interest and breach of confidentiality. Although this investigation was dropped, the incident provoked a strong reaction from Susie Wolff, who stated she was deeply insulted and took legal action against the FIA.
The current president Mohammed Ben Sulayem can run for re-election in 2025 and 2029, as FIA presidents are allowed to serve up to three four-year terms.
After a successful career as a driver in the German Championship (DTM), Susie Wolff became in 2014 the first woman since 1992 to participate in a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, at the British Grand Prix with Williams. She then founded the initiative *Dare to be Different* to encourage women’s participation in motorsports, led the Venturi Racing team in Formula E, and took the helm of the F1 Academy in March 2023.
