F1 boss Toto Wolff's emotional plea: 'I don't want ever to lose my wife'

F1 News & Gossip

Toto Wolff's emotional plea: 'I don't want ever to lose my wife'

Susie Wolff, best known as a former racing driver and F1 Academy director, gave a rare insight into her personal life

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 30 April 2026 09:12

F1 Academy managing director and former racing driver Susie Wolff has revealed Toto Wolff's plea when they discussed having children.

Following the conclusion of her racing career, Wolff took on the team principal role in Formula E at Venturi Racing, where she was eventually promoted to the role of CEO in 2021.

During her tenure as team principal and CEO, Venturi claimed eight race victories before the outfit was rebranded by Maserati and Wolff departed, eventually becoming managing director of all-female racing series F1 Academy.

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Prior to her foray into Formula E, Wolff also gave birth to her first child with Toto, son Jack, in 2017.

During a recent appearance on the Red Flags Podcast, Wolff delivered a candid take on balancing her dreams with motherhood, and revealed how Toto played a vital role in ensuring she pursued her goals.

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Wolff on balancing motorsport with motherhood

Discussing their compatibility, Wolff delved into the time when herself and Toto discussed having children, to which he said he 'didn't want to lose his wife'.

"In a way, when we found each other we just clicked so instantly," she explained. "But I'll never forget when we got married, and I'm really lucky to have two wonderful step-kids. When we decided to have a baby together and Toto said to me: 'Just promise me one thing, I don't want to lose my wife'.

"And at the time I thought: 'That's such a strange thing to say, how would you ever lose your wife?' But as soon as I became a mother, I realised exactly what he meant.

"Because as a woman, when you become a wife and a mother you lose so much of yourself, because you give so much of yourself to being a mother and to being a wife. And I realised I didn't want to lose myself completely.

"I'm someone that needs a purpose in life, I'm someone that needs something to fight for and that's a big part of who I am, and I didn't want to lose that ambition and that drive. He realised that almost instantly, because when I took on the role of team principal in Formula E, Jack [Wolff] was only about eight months old and it was a lot to take on and I had moments where I thought: 'What have I got myself into?'

"But he always pushed me, because he always knew that's what I needed, to have the fire inside of me and that I was a better wife and mother when I was challenged, when I was chasing my dreams, when I had a dream to chase.

"We were always really aligned and he was always really great at giving me tough love. He never shied me away from the tough moments and he always gave it to me straight when he didn't think I was doing well, and I do the same for him. I can also give him tough love.

"We push each other, we always know we've got each other's backs but also in those moments you need to be the one to give the tough love, because that's what also helps the other person."

F1 Mercedes Toto Wolff Susie Wolff