FIA reach decision on Toto and Susie Wolff 'conflict of interests' investigation
The FIA has dropped its investigation into the conduct of Toto and Susie Wolff, having decided that the couple did not share confidential information relating to Formula 1.
It was alleged earlier this week that as the husband of F1 Academy head Susie, Mercedes principal Toto has access to the kind of information which other teams don't. 24 hours after the FIA's announcement, Mercedes' nine rival teams united through coordinated social media posts in which they denied making any complaints about the Wolffs.
The FIA have now ended their investigation and wrote in a statement issued on Thursday evening: "Following a review of Formula One Management's F1 Code of Conduct and F1 Conflict of Interest Policy and confirmation that appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts, the FIA is satisfied that FOM's compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.
"The FIA can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual. As the regulator, the FIA has a duty to maintain the integrity of global motorsport. The FIA reaffirms its commitment to integrity and fairness."
In a statement issued prior to the FIA's decision, Susie said that she was "deeply insulted but sadly unsurprised" by the unsubstantiated claims. The Scottish former racing driver, who married Austrian billionaire Toto 12 years ago, added that the allegations 'seemed to be rooted in intimidatory and misogynistic behaviour' which were 'focused on her marital status rather than my abilities'.
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Red Bull chief Christian Horner later appeared on Sky Sports News and denied that neither Red Bull or their second team, AlphaTauri, had submitted any complaints about the Wolffs. "We have a big rivalry [with Mercedes] on track, but we haven't raised any official complaint, either about Susie or Toto or Mercedes to the FIA," Horner declared.
"In fact, Red Bull has been the team which has got most involved with Formula 1 Academy from its inception, to the point that between the two Red Bull-owned teams we will be entering three cars.
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Susie and Toto Wolff were the subjects of an FIA investigation (Clive Mason - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)"We have been working closely with Susie, who has been doing a great job on Formula One Academy. I think we, like others, were quite surprised at the statement that came out last night, but it certainly wasn't instigated or required or set off by Red Bull."
F1 has just begun its winter break, with the season having finished on Sunday, November 26. Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez secured an superb one-two finish in the Championship, with Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton could only muster third place.
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