F1 rocked by bombshell investigation into Mercedes boss Wolff over alleged confidentiality breach

Mercedes principal Toto Wolff and wife Susie are under investigation by the FIA for alleged conflict of interest and transfer of confidential information.

Mercedes has denied the allegations on behalf of its boss. Susie Wolff and Formula 1 have also rejected the claims.

Susie Wolff is managing director of the Formula 1-owned F1 Academy series, an international Formula 4-level category open only to women and girls aged 25 or younger. She reports directly to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

Stream over 50 sports live and on demand with Kayo. Join now and start streaming instantly >

The FIA’s compliance department has opened its investigation following allegations made by unidentified team representatives published in the Business F1 magazine that Toto has access to confidential information on Formula 1 Management (FOM) activities via Susie’s high-level appointment.

According to the magazine, rival team principals were made suspicious by recent comments made by Toto that they believe could only have come from information from internal F1 channels to which he should not have been privy.

The magazine further reports that rivals are concerned that information from their confidential team principals meetings could be made available to F1 executives via the Wolff couple.

“The FIA is aware of media speculation centred on the allegation of information of a confidential nature being passed to an F1 team principal from a member of FOM personnel,” the FIA said in a surprise statement on Tuesday night from Paris. “The FIA compliance department is looking into the matter.”

The announcement appears to have blindsided Formula 1, which released a statement shortly afterwards expressing surprise that it was not made aware of the allegations and expressing confidence in its policies.

“We note the public statement made by the FIA this evening that was not shared with us in advance,” the sport said. “We have complete confidence that the allegations are wrong, and we have robust processes and procedures that ensure the segregation of information and responsibilities in the event of any potential conflict of interest.

“We are confident that no member of our team has made any unauthorised disclosure to a team principal and would caution anyone against making imprudent and serious allegations without substance.”

Mercedes also said that it had not been informed of the allegations or the formal investigation process before the FIA published its statement.

The German marque strenuously denied the claim, deriding the investigation for being based on a story from only one publication and no public testimony.

“We note the generic statement from the FIA this evening, which responds to unsubstantiated allegations from a single media outlet, and the off-record briefing which has linked it to the team principal of Mercedes-AMG F1,” the team said.

“The team has received no communication from the FIA compliance department on this topic, and it was highly surprising to learn of the investigation through a media statement.

“We wholly reject the allegation in the statement and associated media coverage, which wrongly impinges on the integrity and compliance of our team principal.

“As a matter of course we invite full, prompt and transparent correspondence from the FIA compliance department regarding this investigation and its contents.”

Susie Wolff slammed the accusations as intimidatory and misogynistic in a later statement on social media.

“I am deeply insulted but sadly unsurprised by the public allegations that have been made this evening,” she said.

“It is disheartening that my integrity is being called into question in such a manner, especially when it seems to be rooted in intimidatory and misogynistic behaviour and focused 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 baseless allegations overshadow my dedication and passion for F1 Academy.

“As a woman in this sport, I have faced my fair share of challenges, but my commitment to breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations to succeed remains unwavering.

“In the strongest possible terms I reject these allegations.”

Susie is an established motorsport identity, having first made a name for herself in the German DTM series before becoming a test and development driver for Williams.

In her post-driving career she founded the Dare to be Different program to boost the participation of women in motorsport. It has since rebranded as Girls on Track under the FIA banner.

She was later the team principal of the race-winning Venturi Formula E team between 2018 and 2022, after which she became the managing director for the F1 Academy ahead of its inaugural season this year.

FIA INVESTIGATION THREATENS ESCALATION

The rapidly erupting war of words is the latest bitter chapter in the ongoing tensions between the FIA and Formula 1 since the election of Mohammed Ben Sulayem as president of the governing body in December 2021.

The previously simmering troubles first exploded around a year ago when Ben Sulayem waded into speculation that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund had made a bid to buy the sport for US$20 billion, tweeting that it was an “inflated price tag”.

The FIA’s remit as governing body does not extend to commercial matters, and F1 issued a stern statement alleging the president had “interfered with our rights in an unacceptable manner” and claiming he may be liable for damage to the company’s share price.

In the following week an archived version of Ben Sulayem’s website was uncovered comprising misogynistic remarks that he did not “like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth”. The FIA said the comments were not reflective of the president’s beliefs.

Some viewed the surfacing of the old website as retribution — karmic or otherwise.

More recently Ben Sulayem opened expressions of interests for an 11th and 12th Formula 1 team despite both the sport and the existing teams being against grid expansion. The FIA subsequently approved Michael Andretti’s bid to join the grid, putting Formula 1 in the difficult situation of needing to either approve the entry against its own instincts or reject it and risk legal action.

Between these major flashpoints have been smaller governance irritants, including the infamous jewellery ban that briefly threatened to have Lewis Hamilton banned from the sport, the demurring on the expansion of the sprint race schedule and the prohibition on “political, religious and personal statements or comments” without FIA approval.

Many view the spat between the FIA and F1 — and by extension the teams — as a power play for control over the sport.

F1’s 2017 takeover by Liberty Media has seen it exercise more control as the commercial rights holder, which has resulted in a markedly expanded footprint and greater popularity.

Liberty Media’s purview is defined by the 100-year lease secured from the FIA by former boss Bernie Ecclestone in 2001 following a European Union competition agency ruling that the governing body could not both regulate and promote Formula 1. The championship is still ultimately owned by the FIA, though it sees very little of the sport’s massive profits thanks to the terms of the lease.

Preceding FIA president Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team principal, enjoyed a relatively peaceful reign defined by a consensus-driven and sometimes hands-off approach that largely left the sport to its own devices.

But Ben Sulayem’s elevation to the top job has seen the relationship hit the rocks thanks to his more active management style.

While the sport’s financially healthy footing and booming popularity have staved off major open conflict, the sudden opening of an investigation into the Wolff family and by extension Formula 1 itself threatens to escalate the feud to new levels.