F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff has set the record straight on the recent rumours stating that she was interested in running for FIA president.
Current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s term is due to expire this year. Although he is re-running, recent reports from Autosprint hinted that Wolff was keen to throw her hat in the ring for the role. Unsurprisingly, social media ran wild with the rumours, and fans were already sharing their excitement for the Scotswoman in the role. However, sources close to the former driver have told Planet F1 that she has no intention or interest in becoming FIA president.
Along with fans, 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill also backed Wolff stating that “she’d be perfect,” on his Instagram Story.
Wolff, who became the first woman in 22 years to take part in an Formula 1 weekend at the 2014 British Grand Prix, has her hands full with her commitment to F1 Academy. In 2023, Wolff spearheaded the launch of the all-female racing series.
Now, after its second season in 2024, Wolff has brought the F1 Academy to a place which is giving young female drivers an impressive platform to push them forward in their careers. 2024 saw the series form a strong collaboration with the ten F1 teams, with each outfit representing at least one driver. The races also now take place during F1 weekends and are broadcast live.
Speaking about the changes ahead of the 2024 season, Wolff explained:
“I always like to think of this as my year one really, and I say that with a lot of enthusiasm, but also knowing that I’ve got to prove that the concept was right.
Susie Wolff, Managing Director, F1 Academy, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“I’m hugely proud of what we’ve achieved at this point. It’s still just the beginning, I think there’s a lot more we can do, but I can already see the positive impact we’re having and that’s something which is reassuring to know that we’re on the right path.
“Obviously having the F1 teams on board and their supporting drivers is also a big foundation of hopefully our mid-to-long term success. It was clear for me that two things had to happen – racing with F1 and having F1 teams onboard and that we managed to achieve. Now we need to prove that we have a platform that can deliver ROI but also be impactful.”
She added:
“When I took on this role, I very much said ‘don’t view this as a woman running a thing for women’. It had to be something that the whole sport got behind and I have to really give credit to the F1 teams because they jumped on board with the idea.
“For me, it’s a hugely proud moment that the 10 F1 teams for the first time in the history of the sport united in joining something and gave their liveries to something outside of their own race cars. So, I think the whole F1 Academy team can be proud of that and now we need to deliver.”
