The FIA has confirmed its investigation into an alleged conflict of interest has concluded just two days after announcing it had begun.
The governing body of motorsport faced criticism from Mercedes, Formula One Management and F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff after reports elsewhere linked them to an investigation of the FIA’s Compliance division. The FIA announced the investigation on Tuesday but did not disclose the names of the parties involved.
Mercedes claimed an “off-record briefing” connected the investigation “to the team principal of Mercedes-AMG F1”, Toto Wolff. It said the FIA had acted in response to “unsubstantiated allegations”. Many reports elsewhere naming the Wolffs referred to the same unbylined magazine article.
FOM said from the outset it had “complete confidence that the allegations are wrong” and it has “robust processes and procedures that ensure the segregation of information and responsibilities in the event of any potential conflict of interest.”
The status of the investigation was put in doubt yesterday when Mercedes’ nine rival F1 teams separately issued similarly-worded statements confirming they had not raised any concerns with the FIA about the details under investigation.
Today the FIA has confirmed its investigation is no longer ongoing and acknowledged FOM’s policies to prevent conflicts of interest.
“Following a review of 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,” it said in a statement.
“The FIA can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual.
“As the regulator, the FIA has a duty to maintain the integrity of global motorsport. The FIA reaffirms its commitment to integrity and fairness.”
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