"The bullet went out of the gun and cannot come back in": Mercedes boss remains critical of the FIA's investigation involving his wife

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has made it clear that the actions of the FIA certainly struck a nerve with him and did irreparable damage. A few days before the FIA's gala, there was an official communication from the sport's governing body intimating an investigation into a case of possible conflict of interest between an FOM official and a team principal.

In what was one of the worst-kept secrets, fingers were pointed at Toto Wolff and Susie Wolff especially since a report from an F1 magazine a few days back had claimed something similar. The situation would only get worse because of the magazine's jaded and less-than-reliable history.

After public statements from both Mercedes boss and his wife followed by a chain of similarly worded messages from the other nine teams on the grid, the FIA promptly announced that the investigation was complete.

Talking about what happened, Toto Wolff kept a stern outlook towards all of that and told La Gazzetta:

“We have millions of people watching us, we have to be examples for what we say and do. The investigation – opened and closed in two days – has done a lot of damage, and it’s not what you expect from the F1 world in general. If we want to make the sport more and more professional, we have to try to bring transparency where there is none and set standards of the highest possible level."

"My position is this. I can’t speak for Susie but she is a fighter, she has a steely determination. This is not the first time she has faced difficulties, and she will go all the way in every court of law. If someone types Susie Wolff on the web today, the investigation comes up as the first news item: the bullet went out of the gun and cannot come back in,” he added.

Mercedes boss announces a three-year extension with the team

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also announced a three-year extension with the team. He's been part of the squad since 2013 and will continue to do so until the end of the 2026 F1 season.

"I think the most important thing between the three of us is that we trust each other. At the end of the day, as a shareholder myself, I want the best return on investment. And the best return on investment is winning," he told the Telegraph.

“I’m not going to try to hang on to a position that I think somebody is going to do better than me. I make sure that I have people around who can tell me otherwise. In the end the three of us decided: ‘Let’s do it again,’” Toto Wolff added.

The 2024 F1 season is crucial for the Mercedes and Wolff after two underwhelming years with the car.