Susie Wolff

Susie Wolff is a well-known face in the F1 paddock. Naturally, as the wife of Toto Wolff, but Suzanne Stoddart also made a name for herself in motorsport before she got together with Mercedes' team boss.

Suzanne Stoddart was born on December 6, 1982, in Oban, Scotland. Susie is the daughter of John and Sally Stoddart, who run a motor business in Oban. Father John is also active as a motorcycle racer, albeit at a local level. Susie also has a brother named David, who is a year and a half older.

With racing in her blood, Susie started karting at the age of eight. In 1996, she was named Woman Kart Racing Driver of the Year. She continued karting until 2000, having varying success. In her final year, she finished a commendable 10th in the British Championship.

Susie then began studying at the University of Edinburgh but decided after a year that it wasn’t for her. She wanted to follow her dream and made the switch from karting to open-wheel racing in 2001. Her first experience was in the Formula Renault Winter Series, before she competed in the British Formula Renault Championship in 2002.

Susie Wolff raced for three seasons in the British series, gradually improving her performances. She eventually stood on the podium four times and finished fifth in the standings in 2004, behind Paul di Resta, who would later race in F1.

After a brief and unsuccessful stint in British Formula 3, Susie made her debut in the DTM (German touring car championship) in 2006. She raced for seven full seasons, collecting four points in total. She scored all her points in the 2010 season, finishing 13th in the championship.

On April 11, 2012, Susie Wolff, now married to Toto Wolff, was announced as a development driver for the Williams F1 team. At the time, her husband, Toto, was a shareholder of Williams.

In 2014, Susie Wolff made history by becoming the first woman since Giovanna Amati to participate in a Formula 1 race weekend. She drove two free practice sessions for Williams that year. Her first practice was at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where engine issues limited her to just one lap. Her second practice was at the German Grand Prix, where she faced more problems but still managed to impress by finishing 15th, just two-tenths behind regular driver Felipe Massa.

In 2015, Susie Wolff remained with Williams and drove two more practice sessions—one at the Spanish Grand Prix and another at the British GP. On November 4, 2015, Susie announced her retirement from F1, stating she had achieved everything she could in the sport.

After her F1 career, Susie Wolff became an ambassador for Mercedes, often seen alongside her husband. In 2018, however, she began her own project, becoming the team principal and shareholder of Venturi Racing in Formula E.

The 2020-2021 season was a huge success for Susie, as driver Edoardo Mortara finished second in the drivers' championship, behind Nyck de Vries. The following year, Mortara finished third, and the team achieved its best-ever result, finishing second in the Constructors' Championship.

In 2021, Susie was appointed CEO of the team but announced she would leave at the end of 2022. The team would continue under the Maserati name the following year.

On March 1, 2023, Formula 1 announced that Susie Wolff had been appointed as the director of the newly launched F1 Academy. This was a dream come true for Susie, as she has always aimed to help young girls and women on their way to the top of motorsport.

Susie and Toto Wolff found themselves under the spotlight at the end of 2023 when the FIA announced an investigation into the guidelines of Formula One Management. The investigation looked into possible conflicts of interest regarding Susie Wolff's appointment. She could potentially pass on information to her husband, Toto, the team principal and CEO of Mercedes.

Mercedes denied any conflict of interest, and both Susie and Toto Wolff strongly responded to the accusations. All other F1 teams also issued statements supporting the Wolff family, as did F1 itself. The FIA eventually withdrew and did not pursue the investigation further.

Toto and Susie Wolff met when Toto was a co-owner of HWA AG. He proposed to her on a boat in Venice after they had been together for eight months. They married in 2011 in Capri, Italy.

Toto and Susie Wolff have one son, Jack, born in 2017. They live together in Monaco.