BEYOND THE GRID

IN THE SHADOWS OF THE PADDOCK AND AWAY FROM THE BUZZ OF THE F1 CIRCUIT, THESE KEY FIGURES KEEP THE DRIVERS, CARS AND TEAMS ON TRACK, ALL WHILE WORKING TO EXPAND THE SPORT’S GLOBAL REACH

Boss Lady

OVER THE 73-YEAR history of Formula One, women have traditionally played a limited role. Two have driven in races—the last was in 1976— while in recent years, others have worked in roles behind the paddock. Susie Wolff is hoping to change that. She’s the managing director of the F1 Academy, the all-female-driver racing series launched in April, featuring 15 drivers engaged in seven rounds of competition in Europe and Austin. Wolff, 40, is a former driver who, in 2014 at the British Grand Prix, ended a 22-year drought by becoming the first woman to participate in an F1 weekend when she took part in a practice run for Williams Racing. The new series is giving women a global stage to show off their talents under the F1 umbrella, while also bringing them into other positions in the sport. Wolff, a native of Scotland, is determined to make it a long-term success.

Sports Illustrated: In your role, what have you been responsible for behind the scenes?

Susie Wolff: I immediately wanted to figure out where we’re racing and commercially get the right partners on board. It’s quite easy to launch something, get a lot of following and excitement but then fail three years later because it was all hype and you didn’t deliver. For me, it was clear from the outset that F1 Academy had to be more than just a race series. We’re not just here to find the next female F1 driver. We want to open up the sport [and] inspire the next generation and make sure that we’re making the whole industry more diverse.

SI: The drivers might be the ones in the spotlight, but to have a lasting impact, you want to go to that grassroots level.

SW: One hundred percent. It can’t just be about 15 young women who are racing. We can do so much more. We are part of one of the biggest global sports in the world. I’m not trying to fill stadiums. I am moving on to one of the biggest sporting platforms in the world. I’m getting that viewership.

When I met all the [F1] team principals, I very much said to them: Please don’t view this as a women’s thing run by women. This is for the greater good of the sport. Collectively, we can achieve so much together. If we can connect with the growing female fan base that F1 has, we can inspire the next generation and show that this isn’t just a male-dominated industry.

SI: You’re such a role model for young women across the globe, especially in motor sport. Who were your idols growing up?

SW: My biggest role model while growing up was definitely my mother. She met my dad when she bought her first motorbike from his shop. She ran her own business. She was an incredible mother and wife but also a businesswoman, so she really set the foundation of me realizing I can achieve anything.

SI: How have you seen the landscape of F1 change in the 10 years since you worked at Williams as a test driver?

SW: The world has changed in a huge way. The whole #MeToo movement means there’s a lot of expectation for women to be given equality and an equal chance, which I think has helped massively. Also within the world of

F1, Drive to Survive has opened us up to a whole new fan base. That’s something that we can all be so thankful for in the world of motor sport, because it means we’ve got that younger audience.

SI: A big career change for you was becoming a team principal in the all-electric Formula E championship in 2018. You joined Venturi Racing and oversaw the most successful seasons in their history, helping them achieve their first win and go on to secure seven more victories. Then you became CEO. How did you find the role?

SW: When the opportunity came up to be a Formula E team principal but also a shareholder, I had no doubt I could do it. There were a lot of reservations within the

“IF WE CAN CONNECT WITH F1’S GROWING FEMALE FAN BASE,”

SAYS WOLFF, “WE CAN INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION AND SHOW

THAT THIS ISN’T JUST A MALE-DOMINATED INDUSTRY .”

industry. When I did my first media roundtable, the first question was “What qualifies you for the job?” And I’m not sure they ever asked that of a male. The second question was “Did your husband [Toto Wolff, team principal of the Mercedes F1 team] get you the job?” Which was a no. Then the third question was about my 6-month-old baby and how I was going to manage the travel. That was the point where I realized there is a long way to go.

There were some big challenges along the way because the team was racing at the back of the grid, and, within four years, we fought for a world championship. Nobody asked me about being a woman anymore. When I speak to the next generation, I always say: Just focus on performance. When you’re really good at what you do, the whole gender topic falls away.

SI: When you get it, what does downtime look like? SW: I’m not very good at sitting and doing nothing, but I wish I was, because sometimes [this job can be] exhausting. I wish I could just lie on the sofa and watch Netflix. A dream day is waking up to no alarm, having a great day with the family. I love to get up and move [with things] like Pilates, weight training, cycling, paddle, and then reading is a big part. I’m trying to learn French, so that takes up any spare time I have.