F1 fails to shift dark cloud dial in Australia as Susie Wolff takes FIA to court

All three Formula One races so far this season have been overshadowed by off-track controversies

Hardcore fans of Formula One, those in it for the racing as opposed to the soap opera, must be dreading whenever they see a fresh F1-related news notification on their phone. So often the season-starter in the past, Albert Park in Melbourne has played host to pre-race storylines and the intrigue of the unknown on many an occasion. And this year, any suggestions that the sport has moved on from recent cause célèbres off-track are wildly off the mark ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

It seems the ongoing Christian Horner saga and continuous controversies engulfing FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem are not enough. Next in line? Susie Wolff – managing director of the all-female F1 Academy series and wife to Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff – takes aim at the sport’s governing body with criminal legal proceedings in France.

A report in Business F1 Magazine 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 with a lack of transparency and professionalism which has become synonymous with all kinds of dealings within the sport in the last few months.

Susie, who has rallied against sexism and misogyny throughout her driver-turned-executive career in motorsport, will not let it stand. Her family were subjected to online abuse. Nobody from the sport’s governing body spoke to her throughout. She urged the sport “must demand, and deserve, better”. Now we know she filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on 4 March.

“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter,” she said on Wednesday, in a statement on social media. “I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account.”

She signed off with a firm affirmation: “Whilst some may think silence absolves them from responsibility – it does not.”

It is another headache for FIA boss Ben Sulayem, mere hours after he was cleared by his own organisation’s ethics committee after two different allegations from a “whistleblower”: one of meddling with the result of last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and another of attempting to block the certification of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix on the famous strip.

Susie Wolff has filed a criminal complaint against the FIA in the French courts (Getty Images)

Ben Sulayem, an Emirati former rally driver who succeeded Jean Todt to the biggest job in world motorsport at the end of 2021, has been a man under pressure ever since he targeted Lewis Hamilton for wearing jewellery in 2022. Last year, comments resurfaced from his archived website saying he did not like “women who think they are smarter than men”, traced back to 2001. The FIA did not deny the comments but insisted now they “do not reflect the president’s beliefs”. The 62-year-old has a knack of finding the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

Asked if Ben Sulayem had his backing, Hamilton was irrefutable at media day in Melbourne on Thursday: “He never has.” Pressed further on Wolff’s legal proceedings, the Mercedes driver added: “I’m incredibly proud of Susie. I think she is so brave and she stands for such great values. She’s such a leader and in a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message.”

The Horner episode, too, is no closer to completion. His female accuser – suspended by Red Bull Racing on full pay – has appealed the outcome of the internal investigation which cleared the embattled team principal of “inappropriate behaviour” and has also filed a complaint with the FIA’s ethics committee.

Lewis Hamilton says Mohammed Ben Sulayem, left, has never had his backing (Getty Images)

Christian Horner. left, was back in the paddock in Australia on Thursday (Getty Images)

Horner was present in the paddock on Thursday, visible to the cameras in conversation with Max Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen and his star driver. Underlying tensions within camp have, for the time being, been softened in the form of a “public truce” while speculation linking Verstappen with Mercedes continues. Yet Hamilton, increasingly one of few opinionated spokespeople on these critical off-track matters, stated the crux of the current status of play in no uncertain terms.

“There is a real lack of accountability here, within this sport, within the FIA,” he said in the Mercedes motorhome. “There are things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is really no accountability and we need that. The fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?

“It is still a male-dominated sport and we’re living in a time where the message is if you file a complaint, you will be fired, and that is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world, especially when we’re talking about inclusivity here in the sport.”

These disputes and behind the scenes bickering is overshadowing the actual sport on-track right now. Granted, the result seems somewhat predictable at the moment given Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s dominance. The Dutchman can match his all-time record of 10 consecutive wins with another victory this weekend. But how many dark clouds until a thunderstorm? F1 has failed to shift the dial as it voyages down under to one of its most popular events. One can only hope the drivers themselves can alter the news cycle with a much-needed race of entertainment come Sunday.