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Toto Wolff has labelled his wife Susie as “unemotional” and “pragmatic” as the F1 Academy managing director takes the FIA to court.
An unsubstantiated report late last year suggested confidential information had been shared between Susie and Toto, creating an alleged conflict of interest between Formula One Management (FOM) and Mercedes. It was claimed other team principals were concerned by comments Toto stated in a meeting, inferring knowledge gleaned from FOM.
The FIA opened, and quickly closed, an investigation into the matter but Susie detailed at the time the online abuse inflicted on her family and the lack of transparency from the sport’s governing body. On Wednesday, she revealed she has filed a criminal complaint in France, where the FIA is based.
“First of all Susie is a strong woman, she doesn’t take anything from anyone and has always followed through on her convictions and values, and that’s the case here,” Mercedes boss Wolff told Sky Sports at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday.
“She’s very unemotional about it and pragmatic. She feels wrong was done and the court needs to hear that. Nothing is going to bring her off that path. That’s how her character is.
“It is the case and a fact that all year now we have been talking about cases of transparency and various other factors which are just not great. This is what Lewis [Hamilton] referred to.”
Mercedes driver Hamilton also backed Susie during his media session on Thursday in Melbourne.
Toto Wolff has backed his wife Susie over her legal action against the FIA
(Getty Images)
Toto added: “I think Susie, she’s started that process many months ago, she’s done it very diligently as far as I’m concerned and it will go all the way.
“I think it matters for her the most to find out what happened, that people take accountability and responsibility and things are not brushed under the carpet. I think we as a sport need to do that in all areas, whether it is Susie’s case or whether it is some case with the other teams.
“Overall, this sport has such a massive platform and doing so well. Maybe sometimes we need to take it out of the jurisdiction of our sport and into the real world and see what that does.”
Asked if he thinks it will be a watershed moment for F1, Wolff responded: “No I don’t think there is such 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.”
