Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is optimistic that the FIA will navigate the ongoing controversies surrounding Christian Horner, which have been overshadowing Formula 1’s racing events.
The season started amidst controversy, with Horner facing scrutiny from Red Bull Racing’s overseeing entity, Red Bull GmbH, for alleged misconduct, a claim Horner has refuted.
Although Horner seemed to have been exonerated by Red Bull’s internal inquiry, the situation escalated when an unidentified individual emailed supposed evidence of the allegations to his nine counterpart team principals, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and various F1 journalists.
Following the closure of Red Bull’s investigation into Horner, Wolff has advocated for openness. He shared his views with the media stating: “I think the handling of the situation is very critical for F1.
“It is not in the hands of competitors to have any action, and we should look at ourselves in terms of what we can do to optimise in all of these topics – equality and diversity – and that is what we are doing.
“I am very proud we are at the forefront of that.
“To judge another person and another team, it is the governing body that needs to do that. They have it in their hands.”
Inquired about the impact of the recent controversies on the sport, Toto Wolff commented: “I think the moment I continue to question how this is being handled, I am not doing any good because then it could be seen as being just about a power fight within F1.
“That is why I don’t think it is in the teams’ hands, it is a much bigger topic that I don’t want to diminish the whole situation by making it seem like the Mercedes or McLaren guy talks about the Red Bull guy.
“So I think let’s see where it goes in the next few days and I very much hope that the governing body, sanctioning body and commercial rights holder sets the compass right.”
