Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is one of the most influential people in the paddock. He has been engaged in motorsport for many years, commencing as a racing driver in the 1990s before moving into management positions. He has not made much fame as a driver, but his wife, Susie Wolff is an icon of women in motorsports.
Susie is a motorsport driver best known for her motorsport career in both driving and management. She was recently appointed as the new Managing Director of the all-female F1 Academy series.
Formula 1 announces Susie Wolff as Managing Director of F1 Academyhttps://t.co/hE2tKFIqJz
— F1 Media (@F1Media) March 1, 2023
Susanne Wolff is an inspiration to women around the world and an epitome of women making it in a male-dominated field.
Susie Wolff’s motorsport career
Wolff commenced her racing journey in karting before advancing to single-seater racing in 2001 when she competed in the Formula Renault UK Championship. She went on to compete in several other events, including Formula Three, DTM, and the Formula Renault 3.5 events.
Wolff was recruited as a test driver by the Williams Formula One team in 2012, and in 2014 she became the first woman in 22 years to compete in a Formula One race weekend when she drove in free practice periods at the British and German Grands Prix.
Wolff, who retired from racing in 2015, became a team owner in the all-female W Series competition, which debuted in 2019.
Susie Wolff’s relationship with Toto Wolff
Susie Wolff and Toto Wolff have an intimate emotional and work bond. When Susie was racing in the DTM series and Toto was the executive head of the Williams F1 Team, they first came across in 2009. They started dating in 2009 and married in 2011. They have one child, Jack Wolff, who is 4 years old. Toto spoke about spending time with Susie “Susie and I have spent a lot more time together.“
Their business connection grew as Susie worked as a development driver for the Williams F1 team from 2012 to 2015, while Toto was the company’s shareholder and executive officer, stakeholder, and executive officer of the company. They both departed Williams in 2015, with Toto taking over as team principal of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Susie joining the newly created W Series.
When I asked Toto to embrace electric mobility that’s not quite what I meant…
— Susie Wolff (@Susie_Wolff) August 7, 2020
Despite working for separate teams in recent years, Toto and Susie continue to be supportive of each other’s jobs and are frequently seen together at motorsport events. They are also well-known for their support of programs that encourage more ladies to engage in motorsports.
Wolff will have to report directly to F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, making developments to streamline the development of motorsport among women.
