F1 Academy chief Susie Wolff filed a criminal complaint over the short-lived FIA investigation into her and her husband Toto last year.
Motor racing’s governing body last year announced an investigation into an alleged conflict of interest between Susie and Toto Wolff, boss of the Mercedes F1 team.
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The FIA ​​acted following a report in Business F1 magazine which said at least one rival team boss had raised concerns about leaks from private meetings.
After the disclosure, the FIA ​​quickly announced it had dropped the investigation, but the Wolffs said they were considering legal options.
On Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Wolff confirmed she has lodged a legal complaint.
“I can confirm that I personally filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on March 4 in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA ​​last December,” Wolff said in a social media post.
“There has still been no transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA ​​and its staff in this matter.
“I feel more than ever that it’s important to stand up, call out our misconduct and hold people accountable.
“While some may think that silence absolves them of responsibility, it does not.”
The FIA ​​declined to comment on Wolff’s statement when approached by ESPN.
Transparency — or, rather, the lack of it — has become the biggest talking point in F1 this year.
Hours before Wolff’s statement, the FIA ​​announced that an independent investigation had cleared its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, of any wrongdoing following allegations that he had tried to interfere in the outcome of the Saudi Grand Prix and had tried to conceal certification of the Las Vegas Grand Prix Circuit ahead of its race debut.
Ben Sulayem’s investigation lasted 30 days and included interviews with 11 witnesses.
F1 has also been under a cloud for much of the past few months due to the story surrounding Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Horner was the subject of an internal investigation by Red Bull GmbH for alleged misconduct, but was cleared of misconduct in early March.
Horner’s investigation was carried out by an independent lawyer and included interviews with more than 40 members of the Red Bull F1 team.
The woman who made the complaint has been suspended by Red Bull.
F1 team bosses such as Wolff and McLaren’s Zak Brown have called on F1 and the FIA ​​to take a closer look at the investigation.
Red Bull GmbH has yet to provide further information on either the Horner verdict or the reason the female employee was suspended.