It’s open war between FOM and FIA. What caused it to explode was the news of the start of the investigation by the FIA which initiated proceedings regarding a potential conflict of interest involving the Wolff spouses, with Toto who according to the accusation would have benefited from some confidential information of the FOM that the other team principals couldn’t know.
Someone thought that the intermediary could be Susie Wolff who in her role as CEO of the F1 Academy (a championship outside the FIA orbit, but managed directly by Liberty) reports directly to the CEO of F1 Stefano Domenicali. The information had come out from Business F1, usually very informed on Circus issues, and there were those who had hypothesized that the inspiration behind the case could have been Christian Horner.
The Red Bull team principal, however, made a statement to Sky UK in which he decidedly denied any direct involvement in the affair, giving a strong swerve to the matter. Not only that, but the ten F1 teams took a stand by each posting a tweet in which they excluded their involvement in the matter, recognizing their full trust in Susie Wolff and distancing themselves from what is emerging as a clash between the FIA and FOM , or more precisely between Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the International Federation, and Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1.
The International Federation has had proven proof that it matters little to nothing in the governance of F1: at the decision-making table, in fact, Liberty has ten votes just like the FIA and the Circus teams. The ten teams drastically and clearly took a position in favor of Susie Wolff and sided with the FOM, leaving the FIA with a match in their hands.
The strong differences that were smoldering under the ashes have sensationally exploded into a controversy that risks setting F1 on fire. The teams’ unanimous position, however, changes the scenario that could have been foreseen yesterday, isolating the International Federation which would have started with the investigation entrusted to the FIA Compliance Department, without the parties involved having been informed about the investigation underway.
The reaction from Susie Wolff, Mercedes and F1 had already been very harsh yesterday. The intervention of the teams shifts the needle. Horner said he had not lodged any official complaint with the FIA, acknowledging Toto’s wife’s ability to lead the F1 Academy, given that Red Bull Racing will be involved in the women’s series with three single-seaters, rather than the two of the others. And immediately afterwards the posts from the teams arrived: we will see what the behavior of the FIA will be when it has been sensationally pushed into a corner. Will there be calls for Ben Sulayem’s resignation?
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