Susie Wolff clashed with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem two years ago (Image: GETTY)
‘s wife might be positioning herself to replace as president of the , according to a report in Italy.
The two figures clashed in 2023 when Ben Sulayem ordered an inquiry into a potential conflict of interest, given Wolff’s role as team principal and Susie overseeing the all-female .
The FIA announced they would be investigating an ‘allegation of information of a confidential nature being passed to an F1 team principal from a member of FOM [Formula One Management] personnel’.
The decision to launch a compliance inquiry sparked a backlash from all 10 teams, who issued statements clarifying they had made no complaints to the governing body.
Susie has been tipped to stand as a candidate in the upcoming FIA elections (Image: GETTY)
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Susie, meanwhile, described the allegations as ‘intimidatory and misogynistic’ and said she was ‘deeply insulted but sadly unsurprised’ by the claims.
The probe was swiftly abandoned , saying: “I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account.”
Italian magazine Autosprint has claimed the clash between Ben Sulayem and the Wolffs could tie into speculation that Susie is looking to run for FIA president in the near future.The article suggests the investigation may have been a veiled signal that Ben Sulayem ‘was aware of the possible launch of Mrs Wolff in a presidential election race’.
It remains to be seen if Susie will emerge as a candidate ahead of the upcoming FIA presidential elections, which are set to be held in December.
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Ben Sulayem will be hoping to earn a second term in charge of the governing body, but he said last year that he would welcome potential challengers and underlined the importance of a democratic process.
Discussing his goals for the remainder of his presidency, he told Autosport: “For this year, just to finish and deliver my manifesto and we are on the right track.
“We brought back the FIA in the plus and that’s not by redundancy and removing people, but by generating more income and others being fair with us, and by repositioning and reforming the FIA and going back to our mission.
“And one other thing: if there’s anyone who wants to have a [presidential] race with me, [I would be] more than happy. We talked about democracy. It’s democracy all the time, not part of the time, so I’m more than happy.”