Susie Wolff rules out taking on Ben Sulayem for FIA president job

Speaking on The Sports Agents podcast, Wolff categorically ruled herself out of the running to challenge Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the upcoming December FIA elections, despite receiving public backing from former F1 World Champion Damon Hill.

Wife of Mercedes F1 boss and motorsport powerbroker Toto Wolff, Wolff said: “I'm very honoured, because Damon's someone I respect massively. But no, that's not on the horizon anytime soon. For sure, I have enough on my plate.”

Reflecting on gender safety in the sport, Wolff acknowledged ongoing efforts but warned that more work is still required, especially in the wake of the negative headlines involving Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Wolff said: “Well, I think the sport has made a lot of progress in the last years, because the world has also changed. I would like to think that every woman in a Formula 1 paddock feels that she's in a safe environment. And if that's not the case, that's obviously not something that really I'm happy to hear.”

In the Horner case, she added: “It was an individual case in a team. It wasn't in the wider sport. But I think we've still got work to do to make sure that as much as the sport is progressing in the right way, and as much as we're getting more women in, it has to be an environment where they feel safe, and it has to be an environment where you feel you can put your hand up if something's happened that isn't right.”

Wolff concluded by reiterating her long-term dedication to the F1 Academy: “I'm also someone that's very focused on the job at hand, and I've still got a lot to achieve with F1 Academy. We've got off to a flying start, but it needs to be sustainable longer term, so focus is fully there just now, and definitely not with that role in the horizon.”