The FIA could have handled the Toto and Susie Wolff conflict of interest story in a more “appropriate” manner, according to Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur.
The FIA was reportedly looking into a possible conflict of interest involving F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff and her husband, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who claimed to be profiting from the sharing of sensitive information.
Susie called these claims “misogynistic,” and all of the Formula One teams issued a statement denying any involvement with the purported complaints.
Following a week of conjecture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FIA) declared in a statement that there was no active probe into the couple. This decision was deemed “unacceptable” by Lewis Hamilton.
Embarrassing for Formula One
Vasseur has now shared his opinions on the entire situation, giving the FIA some food for thought regarding their handling of the week’s events.
When asked about the story, Vasseur stated, “I think it’s quite embarrassing for our sport.”
“I’m not sure if newspaper is the right word, but an article in it served as the starting point for the story. Furthermore, I believe that when discussing a specific person in this context, you should be careful with your words.
“I believe the FIA should have done so; they required a full day to go between the initial and subsequent announcements.
“To prevent any incorrect conclusions, it would have made sense to use the 24 hours prior to the first announcement [for investigation].”
