Susie Wolff vs Ben Sulayem for FIA Presidency? [Not April Fools]

Saturday, 01 March 2025 at 18:20

What started as our April Fool's joke last year might come true! Susie Wolff, wife of Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff, is rumoured to be positioning herself for a bid to become the next president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

The current FIA President and the billionaire Wolffs have a long-standing beef exacerbated by a controversial inquiry into a potential conflict of interest. Late in 2023, Ben Sulayem initiated an investigation into a possible conflict of interest between Susie Wolff, who leads the all-female F1 Academy, and her husband Toto, who heads the Mercedes F1 team.

The proverbial 'sh!t hit the fan' when the inquiry was released with strong resistance from Formula 1 but was quickly brushed under the carpet. Nevertheless, Susie Wolff fired back in her response, branding the investigation as misogynistic and pursuing a criminal complaint over the allegations.

The abrupt end to the inquiry did little to quell the controversy. According to Italy’s Autosprint magazine, the probe was more than just a miscalculated move; it was a strategic warning shot aimed at Susie Wolff, potentially signalling awareness of her rumoured ambitions to challenge Ben Sulayem for the FIA presidency.

Autosprint correspondent Stefano Tamburini suggested that the investigation was not as irrational as it initially appeared. His take as published in the magazine edition: “Even ones that seemed completely illogical, such as the opening and rapid closure of an investigation for conflict of interest against Susie Wolff, head of the all-female F1 Academy, and her husband Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal.

"In reality, it was a way of letting people know that he was aware of the possible launch of Mrs. Wolff in a presidential election race," is Tamburini's take on the matter which indeed di go quiet, at least to our ears.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem versus Susie Wolff for FIA President?

According to the Tamburini report, this interpretation suggests a calculated political manoeuvre by Ben Sulayem to assert his awareness of potential challengers. If accurate, this would signify a high-stakes political battle brewing within the FIA’s leadership corridors.

The report adds the current head of the F1 Academy, Susie Wolff's potential candidacy would be historic making her the first female FIA president aka Formula 1 governing body.

The FIA presidential elections are scheduled for December 2025, and under current rules, President Ben Sulayem is eligible to run for two more four-year terms.

In a statement to Autosport last year, Ben Sulayem welcomed the possibility of Presidential challengers, saying: "If there's anyone who wants to have a race with me, I'm more than happy. It's democracy all the time, not part of the time."

Whether or not Susie Wolff officially throws her hat in the ring, as Tamburini suggests in his speculation, remains to be seen. Whatever the case, the outcome of such a battle could significantly influence the future direction of the FIA.

With the election still months away, the political dynamics are sure to evolve more rapidly. One thing is certain: Susie Wolff could be the FIA Presidential candidate to take on Ben Sulayem, we saw coming on April Fool's Day a year ago.

List of all FIA Presidents since the organisation's inception:

Mohammed Ben Sulayem (2021–TBC)
Jean Todt (2009–2021)
Max Mosley (1993–2009)
Jean-Marie Balestre (1986–1993)
Balestre (FISA President, 1978–1986 before the FIA formally took over all sporting matters}
Paul Metternich (1975–1985)
Wilhelm Mertens (1965–1975)
Robert Hersant (1963–1965)
Fritz Huschke von Hanstein (1961–1963)
Auguste Cointreau (1958–1961)
Raymond Mays (1955–1958)
Maurice Baumgartner (1953–1955)
Antoine Rostand (1946–1953) – First President of the FIA following its post-war restructuring.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem vs Susie Wolff for FIA President... and the winner is?