Lewis Hamilton has waded into the controversy surrounding the FIA’s investigation of Susie and Toto Wolff, criticizing the governing body for unfairly questioning the integrity of one of the most successful female leaders in Formula One.
The investigation, which has now been abandoned, centered around an alleged conflict of interest between the Wolffs, who both hold influential roles in the sport. Susie is Managing Director of the F1 Academy, while Toto is Team Principal at Mercedes. The FIA’s actions have been widely condemned, with many suggesting that they have treated Susie unfairly.
Hamilton has been a vocal supporter of Susie Wolff,praising her as a “true pioneer” for women in motorsport. He has called on the FIA to take more care in how they handle such situations in the future, stressing the need for integrity and respect. The seven-time world champion’s comments have added fuel to the debate surrounding the FIA’s actions, and it remains to be seen how they will respond. In the meantime, Susie Wolff remains a powerful figure in Formula One, continuing to advocate for increased diversity and equality in the sport.
In a strongly worded statement, Lewis Hamilton expressed his disappointment at the FIA’s recent investigation into Susie and Toto Wolff, criticizing the governing body for questioning the integrity of Susie Wolff without any evidence. He pointed out that Wolff is one of the most successful female leaders in the sport, and that the FIA’s actions were damaging to the cause of diversity and inclusion. Hamilton stressed the need for change, and expressed his hope that the FIA would start to be more supportive of diversity initiatives in the future.
In a surprise move, the FIA announced on Thursday that it had called off its investigation, after reviewing its own Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy, and determining that it had no grounds to proceed. The FIA claimed that its review had found no evidence of any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, and that it was confident in FOM’s compliance management system. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to quell the growing discontent among the F1 community, with Hamilton’s statements making it clear that there is still much work to be done to improve the sport’s culture.
Despite the FIA’s attempt to move on from the incident, it’s clear that the debate over its role in supporting diversity and inclusion is far from over.
