F1 drama: FIA launches probe into Mercedes 'conflict of interest'

Motor sport's governing body, the FIA, is to launch an investigation into a potential conflict of interest believed to centre on Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie, who works for Formula One Management (FOM), the body announced on Tuesday.

Without naming any names or teams, the FIA said it was "aware of media speculation centred on the allegation of information of a confidential nature" being passed to an F1 team principal from a member of FOM personnel.

"The FIA compliance department is looking into the matter," added the FIA in a press release.

The spotlight has fallen on Wolff, boss of the Mercedes team, and his wife Susie Wolff, managing director of the F1 Academy, the women's competition administered by the FOM, the company that holds the sport's commercial rights.

"We note the generic statement from the FIA this evening, which responds to unsubstantiated allegations from a single media outlet," explained a spokesperson for Toto Wolff's team in a statement.

"The team has received no communication from the FIA compliance department on this topic.

"We wholly reject the allegation in the statement and associated media coverage, which wrongly impinges on the integrity and compliance of our team principal."