Susie Wolff: My Story From the Inside - The FIA Investigation, F1 Academy & Hamilton’s Reaction (E376)
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This episode features Susie Wolff, a pioneering CEO and Formula One Academy leader, sharing her journey from being dismissed as a "token gesture" to becoming one of the most powerful figures in global motorsport. (05:27) Susie opens up about the emotional toll of public scrutiny, including facing accusations of conflict of interests with her husband Toto Wolff, and how she rebuilt her career after painful setbacks. She discusses her bold approach to leadership, creating cultures built on trust and empowerment, and the powerful partnership she shares with her husband.
• The conversation explores themes of resilience, authenticity, fighting for your place in male-dominated environments, and transforming barriers into breakthroughs while maintaining personal integrity.Speakers
Susie Wolff
Susie Wolff is the CEO of F1 Academy, a pioneering racing series she transformed from near-failure to the second most watched motorsport by F1 fans. She is one of the few women to drive a car during a Formula One race weekend and previously ran her own Formula E team. As a former professional racing driver, she competed in DTM (German Touring Cars) with Mercedes-Benz and broke barriers throughout her motorsport career, often as the only woman on track.
Key Takeaways
Separate Your Identity From Performance Results
Susie emphasizes the critical importance of not allowing your entire sense of self-worth to be wrapped up in your last performance or achievement. (21:55) She frequently tells young drivers in F1 Academy: "You are not judged by how good your last race was. You as an individual have done incredibly well to get this far, but don't allow your whole sense of self worth to be wrapped up in how good your last race result was because there's more." This lesson came from her own experience of loneliness and struggle when her identity was too closely tied to racing success.
Accept Help When It's Offered Strategically
Initially, Susie refused assistance like weight reduction in her racing car because she feared it would undermine respect for her abilities. (33:02) However, she learned that accepting help when it enhances performance rather than providing unfair advantage is wise. Lewis Hamilton advised her to use proper head support during long races, which she implemented. The key is distinguishing between help that maintains integrity versus advantages that compromise authenticity.
Create Cultures of Belonging, Not Just Fitting In
As F1 Academy CEO, Susie deliberately created an environment where young women could be authentic rather than conforming to prescribed molds. (48:53) She tells drivers: "You are who you are as individuals. Some of you will want to wear lots of makeup. Some of you will want to wear none. You decide because that doesn't judge you as a racing driver." This contrasts with her own experience of being forced to choose between being the "sexy female racing driver" or the "tomboy."
Transform Setbacks Into Fuel for Progress
When faced with the FIA conflict of interest accusation, Susie channeled her anger into constructive action rather than letting it consume her. (09:02) She explains: "I've got pretty good over the years of turning failure and doors being slammed in my face into more energy to try and succeed and to break down the barriers in front of me." Instead of emotional reactions, she took pragmatic steps including legal action, demonstrating how to convert injustice into momentum for positive change.
Build Support Systems for Long-term Resilience
Susie credits her family as her "strong backbone" throughout her journey, especially during tough moments. (27:57) When she met Toto, it was "the first time I didn't feel like I was on my own, that I could share my insecurities, that I could share my real thoughts with him because he understood it." The lesson is that even the most independent high-performers need trusted people who understand their challenges and can provide emotional support during difficult periods.
Statistics & Facts
- F1 Academy became the second most watched motorsport by Formula One fans in a remarkably short space of time after Susie restructured it. (07:41) This statistic demonstrates the rapid success of her leadership approach and the hunger for women's motorsport content.
- When Susie first arrived at F1 Academy's opening race at Paul Ricard, the track was nearly deserted with only four or five personnel present. (06:08) Teams immediately told her they couldn't find sponsorship and drivers couldn't afford travel budgets, showing how dire the situation was before her intervention.
- Susie broke her ankle in four places, requiring a plate and 10 pins to hold it together, which ended her Formula Three season and sponsorship deals. (29:09) This setback could have ended her career but instead became a turning point that led to her Mercedes opportunity.
