Toto Wolff accused of leaking/receiving confidential information

[TimW]

Susie only joined this year, so it has nothing to do with the cost cap leak.

Interestingly the FIA is investigating a FOM employee and a team boss. It might also be a result of the tension between FOM and FIA over the Andretti entry.

[mcdenife]

Susie only joined this year, so it has nothing to do with the cost cap leak.

Interestingly the FIA is investigating a FOM employee and a team boss. It might also be a result of the tension between FOM and FIA over the Andretti entry.

This is laughable, conflict of interest or leaking of info between a team Boss and a FOM employee? Why is the FIA investigating and not FOM? Isnt the FIA overeaching their remit?

[organic]

According to Erik van Haren, FOM has responded saying they are fully confident that the allegations are unfounded and that the FIA did not share their statement with them ahead of the public release...

So more FIA Vs FOM

[Edax]

Really curious to see how this plays out.

When they hired Susie it was simply a question of time. You cannot be in a relationship and not talk about your job. Unfortunately Toto then selfsnitched infront of the other team principles.

If this all turns out to be true, I think he will get the Flavio treatment.

I would not say that is a given. Many people have to hold secrets which they are not allowed to share with partners.
- For instance in business handling stock sensitive information
- Medical professionals handling personal files
- People in law enforcement dealing with open investigations and suspects

I think you’ll find most of them are perfectly capable of not discussing these items at home.

I don’t know about this one. If it is true then it would be such a blatant disregard of professionalism, that I cannot imagine both continue working in racing.

But that consequence is so obvious that I cannot imagine they would have risked that. Certainly since there seems to be little gain.

Anyway that’s why we have something called innocent until proven guilty. Speculation is fine but in the end an investigation needs to produce evidence.

[organic]

According to Erik van Haren, FOM has responded saying they are fully confident that the allegations are unfounded and that the FIA did not share their statement with them ahead of the public release...

So more FIA Vs FOM

Mercedes also responds to the FIA with its own statement

We note the generic statement from the FIA this evening, which responds to unsubstantiated allegations from a single media outlet, and the off-record briefing which has linked it to the Team Principal of Mercedes-AMG F1.

The Team has received no communication from the FIA Compliance Department on this topic and it was highly surprising to learn of the investigation through a media statement.

We wholly reject the allegation in the statement and associated media coverage, which wrongly impinges on the integrity and compliance of our Team Principal.

As a matter of course, we invite full, prompt, and transparent correspondence from the FIA Compliance Department regarding this investigation and its contents.

The more I think about it the more this feels like Wolffs/Merc just getting caught in the crossfire of FIA vs FOM

[TFSA]

Always thought it was suspect.

Wonder what happens if they are found to have been leaking information or whatnot. Surely it should be a fairly serious punishment?

As others have mentioned, Toto is unlikely to face anything. If you're a participant of a meeting, even a secret meeting, you're still entitled to talk about what's on that meeting as long as you were a part of it. I very much doubt the teams have signed an NDA between each other for those meetings.

All this will ruin is, as denyall put it, the other team principles trust in him.

This is laughable, conflict of interest or leaking of info between a team Boss and a FOM employee? Why is the FIA investigating and not FOM? Isnt the FIA overeaching their remit?

If someone at FOM is potentially compromising the integrity of the competition, then the FIA has a duty to investigate it. FOM can coorporate with the investigation, or run their own investigation alongside it.

But the FIA has a duty to step in. It is literally the FIAs job to ensure the integrity of the competition. As the governing body, that's their responsibility.

I would not say that is a given. Many people have to hold secrets which they are not allowed to share with partners.
- For instance in business handling stock sensitive information
- Medical professionals handling personal files
- People in law enforcement dealing with open investigations and suspects

I think you’ll find most of them are perfectly capable of not discussing these items at home.

I think you'll find that's not strictly true.

In Denmark, we just had a case of leaking secret information from the former head of the danish intelligence agency to his wife - as in, actual classified information. The case was dropped because a court decided that the case couldn't run behind fully closed doors, so they dropped it because they felt they they couldn't prosecute and protect the states secrets at the same time. But his home was literally bugged, and they must certainly have heard him tell his family something, if they thought they had evidence for a charge.

In this case, we also have the additional factor that both of these people work in the same business. This wouldn't be a problem if Susie Wolff was a nurse or a school teacher.

I don’t know about this one. If it is true then it would be such a blatant disregard of professionalism, that I cannot imagine both continue working in racing.

But that consequence is so obvious that I cannot imagine they would have risked that. Certainly since there seems to be little gain.

I think you, and some other people, misunderstand the degree of information being leaked here. It's not necessarily "confidential" information - it's just information that people didn't intend to get out early through gossip. So informally secret information.

It's unlikely to result in any major penalty, even if it's true. The worst that might happen is likely, that Susie will be forced to retire from her position in FOM. Mercedes and Toto is unlikely to get any penalty, because it's gonna be extremely hard to prove, first of all that Toto received any information at all (not saying he didn't, but it may be hard to prove), and that this information resulted in any sporting advantage or damaged one of his competitors in a way that might be penalty-worthy.

[denyall]

Tabloid trash strikes again... FIA bungles response... More at 11...

Edit*

I'd have thought at least a quick meeting behind the scenes to see what people have to say before announcing anything. Pretty poor judgement from the FIA press office.

[taperoo2k]

Susie Wolff has released a statement about the allegations.


I'd caution people to be respectful and not engage in baseless speculation. UK Libel laws are no
joke.

[chrisc90]

I dont think the marital status has a play in it to be honest. Certainly allegations aren't based on that. More the fact of who is possibly feeding the information to who. The fact she's married to a F1 team boss, probably plays a part in that.

I disagree that it is misogynistic... The fact that she is female plays no part in it at all in my opinion.

[TFSA]

I disagree that it is misogynistic... The fact that she is female plays no part in it at all in my opinion.

Not necessarily true. From what i understand, that's a reference to BusinessF1, who wrote the original article.

Apparently - and i haven't double checked this, so this is the word on the streets - BusinessF1 has made previous articles with misogynistic leanings, including suggesting Female F1 prospects should date the male drivers, and has suggested that they should work to look as attractive as possible in order to boost the sport.

[chrisc90]

I disagree that it is misogynistic... The fact that she is female plays no part in it at all in my opinion.

Not necessarily true. From what i understand, that's a reference to BusinessF1, who wrote the original article.

Apparently - and i haven't double checked this, so this is the word on the streets - BusinessF1 has made previous articles with misogynistic leanings, including suggesting Female F1 prospects should date the male drivers, and has suggested that they should work to look as attractive as possible in order to boost the sport.

Ahhh, it just seems a very odd/strange statement to make/release really. It almost seems a deflection to what is actually happening and the investigation is about. Ive no idea what other articles or things that businessF1 page has wrote about previously.


It would be interesting to know what Toto supposedly said in a meeting that he wasn't meant to say out loud.

From the top of my head...
Toto and Ferrari TP meeting last year? before the budget cap was announced where they both missed a race meeting?
Mercedes rocking up with an additional stay, before anyone even knew the FIA were thinking of announcing it.
The latest allegations reported here.

Maybe some things have to raise the question....How did they know about that before anyone else.

[TFSA]

Ahhh, it just seems a very odd/strange statement to make/release really. It almost seems a deflection to what is actually happening and the investigation is about. Ive no idea what other articles or things that businessF1 page has wrote about previously.

Both can be true at the same time.

I gotta say, looking back at the BusinessF1 article, while i can't really pinpoint anything in the text itself that's misogynistic by skimming it, the choice of picture of a clearly younger Susie (i assume that's her) is obviously playing to an angle as the "Gossip mistress" or "Evil maid" so to speak. Not really a professional choice of picture.

[chrisc90]

Ahhh, it just seems a very odd/strange statement to make/release really. It almost seems a deflection to what is actually happening and the investigation is about. Ive no idea what other articles or things that businessF1 page has wrote about previously.

Both can be true at the same time.

I gotta say, looking back at the BusinessF1 article, while i can't really pinpoint anything in the text itself that's misogynistic by skimming it, the choice of picture of a clearly younger Susie (i assume that's her) is obviously playing to an angle as the "Gossip mistress" or "Evil maid" so to speak. Not really a professional choice of picture.

It all seems a little strange to me.

I mean all that needs to happen now is another team 'join the party' and release a statement about it and a possible wrong allegation could turn into something pretty serious.

I read on other forums that sometimes information isnt spread between your jobs daily happenings and your partner/family beside you. You have to question just how often that happens. I have family that work for the MoD and they wont even let slip what they do for their job, but then have a mate who's wife's in the police and they share information. How many Dr's share information about their day with their partners. I guess something about national security vs a sport can be a little different and whether the fact a NDA has been signed etc. There's a lot to consider. I mean I certainly wouldnt rule out the chance on information/meeting details being transferred when your sat at home having tea with the family and one asks....'So, how was your day?'

[CHT]

Regardless of the credibility of the content, the relationship between Toto and Suzie is simply too close for comfort, and obvious conflict of interest. Toto is in F1 for commercial reasons, which goes into benefiting Suzie due to their relationship.

[Luscion]

BusinessF1 is a very bad tabloid at best. The owner of this, Tom Rubython, has been sued by many groups inside F1, including Richard Woods of the FIA for 300k euro, Mclaren for 125k euro and by Bernie Ecclestone, the former head of F1 holdings just to name a few. Also the fact that their article states for a fact that Toto has a history of using confidential information to the benefit of his team could very well open him up to get sued again and i wouldnt be surprised if Toto is gathering his legal team rn. I think the FIA could have handled this better while also not giving so much attention to this site.


was going to but Organic already posted all their trashy content on the first page of the thread