Wolff Plays Down FIA Presidency Bid Rumours

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has dismissed speculation that his wife, Susie Wolff, is eyeing a run for the FIA presidency, quashing rumours as the sport’s governing body braces for its December election. Current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has faced mounting scrutiny, and Wolff, a vocal critic, finds himself at the heart of the storm.

The tension peaked in 2023 when Ben Sulayem launched a brief conflict-of-interest probe into Toto and Susie, who leads the all-female F1 Academy series. Susie branded it “intimidatory and misogynistic,” with Italy’s Autosprint suggesting it was a pre-emptive jab at her rumoured presidential ambitions.

Yet Toto, speaking on ORF’s Sport am Sonntag this week, poured cold water on the idea: “Not that I know of. Susie is an entrepreneur. Someone started this rumour to create a stir.”

The 1996 world champion Damon Hill, however, sees her as a contender: “I think Susie Wolff would be perfect for the job.”

Wolff admitted his lukewarm relationship with Ben Sulayem: “We have our pressure points where we disagree. On other things, for example the swearing, we largely agree. We are a gentleman’s sport and we set an example. The children should not hear our drivers swearing all the time.” Their clash underscores a broader power struggle as the FIA election looms.

On the track, Wolff remains on solid ground with Lewis Hamilton, despite the seven-time champion’s shock 2024 switch to Ferrari. “It’s not that bad,” he said of their new rivalry. “We are very good friends. On a personal level, I wish him all the best, but on the racetrack we want to beat him.” Looking to 2025, Wolff predicts a tight scrap: “The balance of power after the tests in Bahrain is that four teams are pretty much on the same level on a fast lap, perhaps with a small advantage for (Lando) Norris. In the race simulations, the two McLarens are clearly ahead, with (Max) Verstappen, us and Ferrari just behind.”

George Russell is primed to lead Mercedes’ charge, but Wolff tempered expectations for Hamilton’s successor, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli: “We’ve been with Andrea since he was 11. Since then he’s won everything, every single category, and we’ve also driven 11,000 kilometres with him in an old Formula 1 car. Nevertheless, when you’re thrown into the F1 circus as an 18-year-old, you have to be careful not to lose your footing. That’s why we’re trying to dampen expectations at the beginning.”

With McLaren edging the pack and Antonelli’s debut looming, Wolff’s balancing act—on and off the track—is under the spotlight.