Hamilton praises F1 Academy director Susie Wolff over legal action against FIA

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has criticized FIA while supporting Susie Wolff’s “bravery” for filing a criminal complaint against the sport's governing body in the French courts.

Wolff, who is married to Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff, and director of the all-female junior racing series F1 Academy, on Wednesday said she had begun legal action “in relation to statements made against me” by the FIA.

The Wolffs were the subject of an FIA investigation last December which sought to determine if the couple shared confidential information. It followed allegations of a conflict of interest published in BusinessF1 magazine.

But FIA closed the investigation after just 48 hours, following near-identical statements from the remaining nine teams denying they’d lodged the complaint required to commence it, with Susie Wolff beginning legal action on March 4.

Hamilton, though, firmly backed Wolff during a media session Thursday at Albert Park ahead of Sunday's Australian F1 Grand Prix, in which he lamented the lack of accountability in the sport.

“I’m incredibly proud of Susie Wolff,” Hamilton said. “I think she’s so brave, and she stands for such great values. She’s such a leader. And in a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message.

“I love that she’s taken it out of this (F1) world to fight it from the outside because there is a real lack of accountability here within this sport, within the FIA. Things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is clearly no accountability."

On the grid, Hamilton said he was confident that his Mercedes team can improve pace from his W15 car to challenge for podiums and races later this year. He last climbed the podium’s top step at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The British driver is a two-time winner of the Australian Grand Prix, with his last win in 2015.

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