Lewis Hamilton has thrown his support behind Susie Wolff's decision to file a criminal complaint against the FIA in French courts.
The F1 Academy director made the surprising announcement on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Wolff’s action is rooted in a December investigation launched by the FIA into a potential conflict of interest between Wolff and her husband, Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes motorsport.
The governing body hinted at suspicions of confidential information being shared between the couple through their respective professional responsibilities.
However, a day after the FIA’s probe was announced, Formula 1’s teams offered a united front as they unanimously denied lodging any complaints against the Wolffs.
The move left the FIA with little choice but to abandon its investigation just 48 hours after its announcement.
But feeling that her integrity and reputation had been unjustly injured by the FIA’s “unfounded and misleading” communication, Susie Wolff made clear at the time that she would hold the governing body accountable.
On Wednesday, Wolff made good on that commitment.
“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter,” she wrote on social media.
“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account. Whilst some may think silence absolves them from responsibility - it does not.”
Hamilton's backing of Susie Wolff comes amidst a wave of controversy surrounding the FIA.
Last week, a female Red Bull employee filed a complaint with the FIA regarding the conduct of team boss Christian Horner.
Additionally, the institution itself came under scrutiny following an investigation into alleged attempts by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to influence race officiating decisions during the 2023 season.
While praising Wolff, Hamilton also highlighted the FIA’s crucial lack of transparency in its handling of its affairs.
“Firstly, I'm incredibly proud of Susie. She's so brave. She stands for such great values. She's such a leader,” the seven-time world champion told the media in Melbourne.
“In a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message. I love that she's taking it out of this world, filing it from outside, because there is a real lack of accountability here within this sport, within the FIA.
“Things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is clearly no accountability.
“How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you didn't have that?
“Hopefully, this stand that she's taken now will create change, have a positive impact, and especially for women.
“We're living in the time where the message is 'If you file a complaint, you'll be fired.' That is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world.
“So, especially when we're talking about inclusivity here in the sport, we need to make sure that we're staying true to the core values here.”
Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell also underscored the importance of transparency guiding the FIA’s leadership.
“You trust that the leaders in this sport have the best interest at their heart rather than their own interests… When we don't have the facts and figures, and there is no transparency, you always think there's something being hidden,” he said.
“That's why it's so important for the sport now to send the right message to everybody who's supporting Formula 1, watching Formula 1, wants to be involved in Formula 1, that things aren't just swept under the carpet.”
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