No Toto, that is so not right! (Toto-FIA connection scandal heats up)

That's a story that was quickly put to bed.
They should do the same for the 2021Abu Dhabi episode, or the Massa/Crashgate.
F1 has nothing to gain with these false flags.

 

MBS asked to have his idiocy responded to! A clear response. FIA is a joke with him leading. Pathetic!!

 

What’s the most popular word in this thread?
Give up?
If

If Toto did this…
If Susie said that…
Everything is possible when you use that simple 2 letter word…if
No need for actual proof. If throws the actual need for proof out the window here at FC.

 

That's why we have these things called investigations, where we determine whether the "if" has any evidence that supports an accusation.

To me, this is simple. Name names. Make people sit for official interviews. Toto has a right to know who is accusing him, and the teams have a right to know if Toto does in fact have insider information, and if he does, where he's getting it.

Is it Susie? Someone else? We'll never know, because the misogyny card has been played, and has stopped the FIA investigation before it can even begin, which is very alarming, because it does suggest there is something Mercedes is trying to hide, imho.

 

Hiding what. Name it. What conspiracy given you dont like that Susie tossed out a very strong word to defend herself as she should and by default defended FOM her employer from a man, pathetic trash of MBS on record in the press denouncing the intelligence of women. What pray tell does your crystal ball show that Mercedes is hiding? Ice-cream Kimi could not find during his last GP.

Closer to reality I would imagine, if ever so politely and pointed, a phone call and letter were issued by a Legal team from Mercedes/Wolff announcing their intent to sue the FIA and the idiotic publication(which has a long record of legal action against it), or issue a statement that there is nothing based on the FACT that there was nothing, given that this 'malicious' public indictment was thrown out to the public by the FIA using more than dubious information. Thats closer to any fact you are presenting opinion or not. Also Ms Wolff can use any word she wants in defense of herself and her work given the idiocy of the publication and the FIA in how they approached this. Her language was a telling warning to the FIA and its idiot leader MBS. We should all be so bold go defend ourselves against that crap the internet provides now.

 

About a foundation- less bunch of slander and lies by FIA. Teams ended that rather quickly lol. Dead issue as I stated on day 1!!!!

 

Now the fun begins against the crap FIA lol!!


The lingering questions that remain from the unnecessary FIA/Wolff saga
The FIA's decision to back away from its compliance probe into Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and wife Susie brought an end to an explosive 48 hours for Formula 1.
AUTHORJonathan Noble
UPDATEDDEC 8, 2023 AT 11:10 AM

But the shockwaves from the FIA's decision to declare that it was looking into a potential conflict of interest over the passing of confidential information between the Wolffs are going to stick around for a while.

There remains a bitter aftertaste to all that has happened because no parties have come out of the events of the week looking good.

The Wolffs, Mercedes and FOM have had their reputations sullied by the allegations, the media has been caught up in a misinformation fog of war, and the FIA's actions have led to it being on the receiving end of heavy criticism.

The events of the week were entirely avoidable, as the whole thing could have been conducted in private and settled without the need for anyone in the outside world to even know about it.

But it's the fact that matters went so public, and the disparity between the FIA's view of there being team complaints and all of Mercedes' rivals insisting that is not the case, that has left some lingering questions about the whole affair.

Here we dig down into the key issues that still stand out.

What prompted the probe in the first place?

One of the most confusing aspects of the whole case remains the suggestions of team complaints about the confidential information being passed on to Toto Wolff.

While FIA sources were adamant that some F1 team principals were in contact over the situation – and this information appeared to have been briefed to many media outlets – the nine team statementsfrom Mercedes' rivals suggest that was not the case.

This is the biggest disconnect of the whole saga.

There is obviously a world of difference between a team lodging an official formal complaint over the behaviour of a rival, and a boss having a quiet moan during paddock chatter. But the latter is not normally grounds to go big on investigations.


So what conversations really took place and with whom?

And if there were no formal complaints about the situation, was a single news story in a magazine – even if it prompted a few media inquiries – enough to justify going so big on the probe?

Ultimately, it is the FIA's duty to ensure that regulations are upheld; it even talked about integrity and fairness in its statement announcing the inquiry was over.

But equally, there is a world of difference between going through due process to look at something in private to confirm everything is above board, and then going public and making a huge deal out of it.

Why was the FIA so eager to go public?

Perhaps the most baffling aspect of the whole sorry affair is why the FIA felt the need to go so public that its compliance department was looking into the situation.

Such a statement would normally only come if there was strong evidence to suggest that a rules breach had taken place and there was a case to be answered.

Normally such situations are expected to be dealt with behind closed doors – even in private phone calls between the FIA and individuals involved – before there is any hint of it reaching the public domain.

So, the FIA's decision to issue its statement, before even Mercedes, the Wolffs and FOM knew anything about it, remains quite difficult to understand.

That is even more true considering that there seemed to be almost nothing to base the case on.

The FIA's announcement on Thursday that it was calling off its inquiry said the decision was made after a simple review of documents, so there was never actually a proper investigation of events in the first place

It said: "Formula One Management's F1 Code of Conduct and F1 Conflict of Interest Policy and confirmation that appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts.

"The FIA is satisfied that FOM's compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.

This is something that could and should have been done well before the need to go public. In its statement on Thursday night, the FIA said it reaffirmed its commitment to 'integrity and fairness'.

But it cannot be lost on the governing body that going public with the compliance department's involvement was not especially 'fair' to the Wolffs, Mercedes or FOM in throwing suspicions out there that ultimately proved to be false.

Is there a private agenda at play?

The FIA's decision to go public with the compliance department's involvement has been viewed by some as part of an agenda that its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has against Wolff.

It has been linked to Lewis Hamilton being investigated for crossing the track in Qatar, and to Wolff being summoned for swearing in a press conference in Las Vegas.

But while there may be suspicions of this being part of a Machiavellian plot, the reality may be that the latest affair follows more the pattern of Ben Sulayem simply being aggressive and committed to following what he thinks is the right thing to do: even if it is at odds with what others perceive is right.

All his controversial moments – think of the comments about a potential Saudi buyout of F1, the jewellery ban, talk about bringing Michael Masi back to F1 – all come from him pursuing what he thinks right at that moment in time, without considering longer term consequences and implications.

This is a very different approach from previous FIA presidents who have focused more on the bigger picture and longer-term implications.

Ben Sulayem may have viewed publicly declaring the Wolff case as simple evidence of the FIA's transparency, and that it was willing to go the extra mile to investigate any suspicion of rule breaches – rather than holding back and realizing the potential damage it could cause.

Few (even likely within the FIA) now doubt that the better thing to have done would have been to address it all in private rather than stir up the storm it did.

What happens next?

While the FIA may hope that calling off its probe will be an end to the matter, that will almost certainly not be the case.

From Wolff and Mercedes' perspective, after a week where reputations have taken a battering, this is not something that can be quickly forgotten.

It is understood that discussions are ongoing between the FIA and Mercedes about the fallout, and that will likely include how to redress any potential to reputation that may have occurred.

It will be interesting to see if there is any public apology or declaration of remorse for the FIA or Ben Sulayem over how things were handled this week.

Going forward, it is clear that the FIA has to learn some critical lessons in how it deals with such matters in the future.

Getting the compliance department to check that everyone is following the letter of the law is one thing, but dragging such matters into the public domain is another.

Knowing full well that this whole Wolff saga could have been dealt with in a few phone calls and emails – rather than being fed to and exploding in the media – should hopefully act as a guide for where improvements must be made in the future

 

Good god, you'd think Susie Wolff had been accused of being a heroin dealer the way some of you on carrying on at a mere investigation.

The idea that Toto gets insider information from somewhere is not baseless. He routinely shows an awareness of the business of other teams, as well how the FIA intend to make their rulings on certain political matters. It suggests a clear network of sources for sure. Whether there's one in the FIA and FOM is unknown, and nobody has convicted Toto or his wife of jack squat.

Mercedes seems to have the sport of F1 on the run these days. They wanted hybrids, they got them They wanted Masi fired, and he was. They wanted TD39, and they got it. Now they are literally telling the FIA what they can or can't investigate, or feel our wrath! I can just imagine if Elkan's wife worked at the FIA what the reaction would be from the get-go.

Now, some examples of conspiracy theories would be Hamilton believing McLaren and the FIA were in cahoots to take the 07' championship from him, or that his team sabotaged his engines during various seasons.

I don't hate Toto. I've openly admired his tenacity on here before. IF he is getting insider information, then the party that should be roasted are the FIA and F1 for allowing such circumstances. He's a competitor. She's his wife. DUH, they're going to talk at home.

 

^^^
Michael Masi was NOT fired, fyi.

And I’m certain M-B is not telling the FIA what they can and cannot investigate.
Certainly Mercedes “having the sport on the run” has been bad news for Red Bull.
Oh wait

 

DF1 is totally on point regarding this whole affair. Seeing the source, NO ONE with any F1 savvy would have given this story ANY credence whatsoever. I can think of at least three senior staff at the FIA who would have advised MBS not to take this rancid bait (assuming he takes advice). As for those moaning about Susie invoking "misogyny", your timing is off – it was the launch of the Wolffs' legal response that set the FIA flailing about in an effort to find reverse gear...

 

Im rather certain that 'Libel and Slander' were well explained/refreshed to the Legal Staff at the FIA.

 

Come on, guys, we all have not any doubt about that Toto gets some intel from FIA. We also know that Susie Wolff is a disgrace for the sport: she was as bad at driving as good at nepotism. But I´m afraid this time Ben Sulayem has not a case. Don´t worry, probably there will be another chance.

 

DF1, I can tell you from brutal first hand experience that the FIA legal department are a barrel of tossers...

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/lewis-hamilton-tears-into-fia-over-unacceptable-treatment-of-susie-wolff/ar-AA1lcO8W?cvid=4522149afc8a46579d1424f5b63aebd8&ocid=winp2fptaskbar&ei=10

Hey! there he is! Tossing his .0002 in where it doesn't belong

sjd

 

Big surprise. I see he had to play victim even on something that has nothing to do with him.

 

The issue was not investigating, it was feeding the media (and selecting, maybe not by chance, a paper rather famous for publishing without much checking) with information that was still conjectures - had the FIA showed some common sense (waiting to have some conclusive elements to spread information), the outcome would have been different; in any case, we should not have witnessed this pathetic show.

 

You didn’t read ONE word of that link, did you?
NO where does Hamilton “play victm”.
Unreal how you guys just make stuff up.
What is your deal…seriously

PS. To those that think there was an “investigation” by the FIA, think again.
Watch the great movie, Absence of Malice, it has a lot of similarity to this story.

 

“However, this episode has so far taken place without transparency or accountability. I received online abuse about my work and my family. I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media." - Lewis Hamilton

 

The way TW acted during Abu Dhabi 2021, basically saying "How could the FIA do this to ME?!" just confirms once more of his shady dealings. Even then, on AbuDhabi '23 he still hasn't gotten over it.

 

Hamilton:
"We’ve got a lot of great people within the sport that are doing amazing work. There is a constant fight to really improve diversity and inclusion within the industry, but seems there are certain individuals in the leadership of the FIA that every time we try and make a step forward they are trying to pull us back, and that has to change.”


Clearly, any accusations about insider information MUST be an attack against "diversity and inclusion within the industry" I mean, what else could they be ... right ??

And, of course, we can count on Hamilton to count himself among the victims

 

Drive to survive

 

Does anyone think this whole thing sheds a little more light onto the radio comms to Masi? C'mon conspirators!

Afterall, it's just a motor race.

sjd

 

Sir lew has destroyed the sport. He needs to go he can’t shut his mouth. His ego , look and character has grown so large he doesn’t resemble that kid from 08.