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The FIA has dropped its investigation into the Wolffs

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The FIA has dropped its investigation into the Wolffs | Top Gear

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Governing body makes dramatic u-turn over Susie and Toto Wolff, as questions are asked of its president

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The FIA has dropped its investigation into the Wolffs

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Governing body makes dramatic u-turn over Susie and Toto Wolff, as questions are asked of its president

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Governing body makes dramatic u-turn over Susie and Toto Wolff, as questions are asked of its president

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The FIA has dropped its investigation into the Wolffs

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The FIA has dropped its investigation into the Wolffs

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The FIA has dropped its investigation into the Wolffs

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Governing body makes dramatic u-turn over Susie and Toto Wolff, as questions are asked of its president

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Here endeth the mini saga… possibly. The FIA has dropped its investigation into the F1 Academy boss and Mercedes team principal, just three days after opening it.

Susie and Toto Wolff - who are married - were thought to have been accused by rival F1 team bosses of sharing confidential information, and that their roles and relationship represented a conflict of interest.

But two days ago all nine of Mercedes’ rivals released identically worded statements denying that they had made any complaint about the couple, in a rare, united response to the FIA’s investigation.

That was after Susie Wolff said she had been “deeply insulted” by the allegations, and F1 and Mercedes had leapt to hers and Toto's defence.

All of that heaped pressure on the FIA to explain precisely why it had decided to take action, and lo and behold it has now concluded that… no further action is necessary. Nope, not even a five-second penalty.

"Following a review of Formula 1 Management's F1 code of conduct and F1 conflict of interest policy, and confirmation that appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts, the FIA is satisfied that FOM's compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information,” read a statement issued to the media.

"The FIA can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual. As the regulator, the FIA has a duty to maintain the integrity of global motorsport. The FIA reaffirms its commitment to integrity and fairness."

And now the FIA has announced its climbdown, Susie Wolff has issued her own blistering response to the whole ordeal.

"When I saw the statement issued by the FIA yesterday evening, my first reaction was: 'Is that it?' For two days, insinuations have been made about my integrity in public and through background briefings, but nobody from the FIA has spoken to me directly," she wrote on social media.

[node:field_onward_journey_card-themed]

"I might have been collateral damage in an unsuccessful attack on somebody else, or the target of a failed attempt to discredit me personally, but I have worked too hard to have my reputation called into question by an unfounded press release.

"We have come a long way as a sport. I was extremely thankful for the unified support of the Formula One teams. I have worked with so many passionate women and men at F1 and the FIA, who have the very best interests of our sport at heart.

"However, this episode has so far taken place without transparency or accountability. I have received online abuse about my work and my family. I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media.

"What happened this week is simply not good enough. As a sport, we must demand, and we deserve, better."

Meanwhile, Toto Wolff has confirmed they are "currently in active legal exchange with the FIA". He added: "We await full transparency about what took place and why, and have expressly reserved all legal rights."

Those words appear to confirm that the row is part of a wider power struggle, with the Wolffs, the teams and F1 on one side, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on the other.

Relations between the sport and the organisation that governs it seem to be at an all-time low, and many within F1 put that squarely down to Ben Sulayem’s behaviour and decision making.

This year alone he has overseen the FIA’s search for a new team that few in F1 actually want, received a cease and desist letter from F1 for voicing his views on a commercial matter, and rumour has it he was behind bizarre decisions to reinvestigate Lewis Hamilton in Qatar and send Toto Wolff and Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur to the stewards for using some choice language in a press conference in Las Vegas.

Reports suggest that the president has lost the confidence of senior figures in F1, with some inside the FIA itself also concerned about his leadership.

We haven’t heard the last of this, have we?

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Here endeth the mini saga… possibly. The FIA has dropped its investigation into the F1 Academy boss and Mercedes team principal, just three days after opening it.

Susie and Toto Wolff - who are married - were thought to have been accused by rival F1 team bosses of sharing confidential information, and that their roles and relationship represented a conflict of interest.

But two days ago all nine of Mercedes’ rivals released identically worded statements denying that they had made any complaint about the couple, in a rare, united response to the FIA’s investigation.

That was after Susie Wolff said she had been “deeply insulted” by the allegations, and F1 and Mercedes had leapt to hers and Toto's defence.

All of that heaped pressure on the FIA to explain precisely why it had decided to take action, and lo and behold it has now concluded that… no further action is necessary. Nope, not even a five-second penalty.

"Following a review of Formula 1 Management's F1 code of conduct and F1 conflict of interest policy, and confirmation that appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts, the FIA is satisfied that FOM's compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information,” read a statement issued to the media.

"The FIA can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual. As the regulator, the FIA has a duty to maintain the integrity of global motorsport. The FIA reaffirms its commitment to integrity and fairness."

And now the FIA has announced its climbdown, Susie Wolff has issued her own blistering response to the whole ordeal.

"When I saw the statement issued by the FIA yesterday evening, my first reaction was: 'Is that it?' For two days, insinuations have been made about my integrity in public and through background briefings, but nobody from the FIA has spoken to me directly," she wrote on social media.

"I might have been collateral damage in an unsuccessful attack on somebody else, or the target of a failed attempt to discredit me personally, but I have worked too hard to have my reputation called into question by an unfounded press release.

"We have come a long way as a sport. I was extremely thankful for the unified support of the Formula One teams. I have worked with so many passionate women and men at F1 and the FIA, who have the very best interests of our sport at heart.

"However, this episode has so far taken place without transparency or accountability. I have received online abuse about my work and my family. I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media.

"What happened this week is simply not good enough. As a sport, we must demand, and we deserve, better."

Meanwhile, Toto Wolff has confirmed they are "currently in active legal exchange with the FIA". He added: "We await full transparency about what took place and why, and have expressly reserved all legal rights."

Those words appear to confirm that the row is part of a wider power struggle, with the Wolffs, the teams and F1 on one side, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on the other.

Relations between the sport and the organisation that governs it seem to be at an all-time low, and many within F1 put that squarely down to Ben Sulayem’s behaviour and decision making.

This year alone he has overseen the FIA’s search for a new team that few in F1 actually want, received a cease and desist letter from F1 for voicing his views on a commercial matter, and rumour has it he was behind bizarre decisions to reinvestigate Lewis Hamilton in Qatar and send Toto Wolff and Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur to the stewards for using some choice language in a press conference in Las Vegas.

Reports suggest that the president has lost the confidence of senior figures in F1, with some inside the FIA itself also concerned about his leadership.

We haven’t heard the last of this, have we?

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Governing body makes dramatic u-turn over Susie and Toto Wolff, as questions are asked of its president