Susie Wolff is the Managing Director of F1 Academy, a global initiative aimed at increasing the female talent pool in motorsport both on and off track.
The F1 Academy falls under the jurisdiction of Formula One Management (FOM), a subsidiary of publicly traded Formula One Group. A non-profit body, the FIA governs F1.
What is governance and why is it important in motor racing?
Governance is a framework composed of structures, processes, policies and practices from which a Board of Directors operates and oversees. This ensures that the Board is working in the best interests of the Organization. The President of the FIA reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for carrying out the directives of the Board.
Since 2011, Susie Wolff has been married to Toto (Torger) Wolff, who holds a 33% stake in the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. He is the Team Principal and CEO of the Team.
Recently, it was alleged that Ms. Wolff shared confidential F1 information with her husband, Toto Wolff.
An investigation by the FIA’s Compliance Department was launched to determine whether a real or perceived conflict of interest existed, i.e. had Susie Wolff shared confidential F1 information with her husband, Toto Wolff? The investigation, run by an internal body of the FIA, quickly concluded that there was no conflict.
Amidst a torrent of mostly fluffy articles, there remain many unanswered, important questions about this situation.Was any confidential information actually leaked by Ms. Wolff?
If so, exactly what information was leaked?
Where did this alleged confidential information come from: a Committee meeting, a Board meeting, a Team Principal’s meeting, something else?
Did Ms. Wolff actually receive this confidential information and, if so, how?
If Ms. Wolff received it, did she share this confidential information with her husband? In doing so, did Ms. Wolff breach the FIA Code of Ethics policy?
Why has the FIA Compliance Department not shared the details of its internal investigation more widely?
Has the internal Compliance Department reached out to an external body to provide an independent opinion?
The FIA called for this investigation. Does it have the right governance structure in place to manage potential conflicts of interest, either current or future? Where was the Board? That is the question no one is asking, and the most important question of all.
