Brown joins calls for transparency over Wolff while other bosses reiterate confidence in FIA

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says Susie Wolff deserves greater transparency from the FIA regarding its investigation of interference in allegations of potential conflict of interest, but multiple team bosses insist they have confidence in the governing body.

Wolff has launched legal action against the FIA in French courts, following statements relating to a potential conflict of interest investigation involving the F1 Academy managing director and her husband Toto Wolff in December last year.

With the FIA’s Ethics Committee having cleared Mohammed Ben Sulayem of any wrongdoing relating to interference allegations, and a grievance against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner dismissed — both following independent investigations initiated by their parent companies — Brown says calls for transparency have a different meaning depending on each topic.

“The different situations are all different, so I don’t think there’s kind of a one-size-fits-all,” Brown said. “I think we just need to have confidence that the FIA, there’s various statutes as far as how we conduct ourselves, that they’re looking to matters when there’s a whistleblower situation or someone brings forward an issue.

“There are certain things that we can be aware of and not aware of from a confidentiality standpoint, but are things being looked into? Are all sides being heard equally? And then when conclusions are brought forward, what was the process and the conclusion?

“I don’t think, given confidentiality, and these various natures, that we’re necessarily entitled to know all the details. I just think we need to have the confidence that when someone brings forward an issue that we know it’s been looked into independently, [that] all parties have been heard. And I think we should all welcome that. So if someone’s involved in a situation, they should welcome transparency and welcome the FIA looking into the situation from all parties.

“In Susie’s case, she’s one of the most respected people in motorsport and from the limited information I have think, that isn’t quite aware of what she was being looked into and then why she wasn’t being looked into. So I think really the transparency is as much for her.