F1 team bosses angry and complain at Toto and Susie Wolff ‘conflict of interest’
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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and his wife Susie have reportedly been accused of a conflict of interest, with Susie in her role as the managing director of the F1 Academy series. Several rival team bosses are said to have made unofficial approaches to the FIA over the business relationship between husband and wife.
Business F1 Magazine claim that several team chiefs around the paddock have been questioning whether Toto and Susie Wolff should be employed in both roles. Those bosses have insisted that Toto, via his wife, has access to information that other teams on the grid are unable to obtain.
Suspicions were initially raised when Toto allegedly had information in advance of a meeting, which led to several of his peers being surprised that he was aware of the topic. He was said to have realised that he overspoke as his rivals were able to work out that the information only could have come from someone at the Formula 1 Group (F1G).
This has led to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem holding informal discussions with team chiefs regarding the issue, though it remains to be seen whether any action will be taken.
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Ben Sulayem is said to be unsure over whether this is typical politics in the paddock or whether intervention needs to be taken. He has been keen to avoid adding another issue on the plate of the FIA and F1G, but there is increasing pressure to step in.
Susie Wolff landed her first F1 job in March at the new F1 Academy. She reports directly to F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali and is the leading figure of the academy, spearheading the development of female motorsport talent, but now faces allegations of collusion and a conflict of interest with her husband in charge of the Silver Arrows.
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Wolff has been accused of having a source inside the F1 top brass previously, as Red Bull chiefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko pondered over a leak that brought their cost cap breach to light last year.
The Mercedes man insisted that it was just a ploy by Red Bull to focus the attention elsewhere rather than their infringement. “The leak did not come from the FIA, but there are ten finance directors who sit together all year and find out who did what,” he said.
“There was a violation; it doesn’t really matter how it came about. Violation is violation. Who talked about it? I think it was the finance directors. It is also a total sideshow. It is an attempt by Red Bull to divert attention.”
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