Wolff to take FIA court battle 'all the way'

Toto Wolff has made clear wife Susie will take the FIA "all the way" in her court battle to secure transparency and accountability, and to ensure the issue is "not brushed under the carpet".

F1 Academy director Wolff and her Mercedes team principal husband were placed under investigation by F1's governing body after an alleged complaint from rivals, documented in reports at the time, about a conflict of interest between their roles.

It was alleged that information not otherwise available to either was able to be transferred because of their respective positions. Only after unanimous support from Mercedes' nine rival teams - with identical statements aired on social media - was the case dropped.

When the allegations were initially made, Wolff said she was "deeply insulted" by the comments made that were rooted in "intimidatory and misogynistic behaviour".

Refusing to let the matter drop, Wolff confirmed via a social media post of her own this week that she is now pursuing a case through the French courts, citing the fact there had "still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter".

She added: “I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account."

Hailing his wife as "a strong woman", speaking on Sky Sports F1, Toto Wolff said: "She doesn’t take anything from anyone and has always followed through on her convictions and values, and that’s the case here.

"She’s very unemotional and pragmatic about it. She feels wrong was done and the court needs to hear that. Nothing’s going to bring her off that path. That's how her character is."

Susie Wolff was also given vociferous support by seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who described her as "brave" for taking a stand against the FIA, an organisation he slated for its "real lack of accountability", and where "things happen behind closed doors".

"It is the case and fact that all year now we have been talking about cases of [needing to be] in transparency and various other factors that are just not great, and this is what Lewis referred to," added Toto Wolff.

"We should talk about the greatest of the sport, where we are, and not the other stuff, but it needs to be pointed to."

As to what Susie was hoping for as an outcome, Wolff remarked: “Susie started that process many months ago and has done it very diligently, as far as I’m concerned, and will go all the way.

"It matters for her most to find out what happened and for people to take accountability and responsibility, that things are not brushed under the carpet.

“I think we as a sport, we need to do that in all areas and whether it is Susie’s case or whether it’s some case with the other teams.

"Overall, I think this sport has such a massive platform, is doing so well, and maybe sometimes we need to take it out of the jurisdiction of our sport into the real world and see what it does.”