"Unsubstantiated allegations" - Mercedes responds to FIA investigating information 'being passed to an F1 team principal from a FOM personnel'

Mercedes has responded to the media statement issued by the FIA that they were investigating FOM personnel, which many believe to be team boss Mercedes Toto Wolff and his wife Susie Wolff.

A recent report alleged that an anonymous team principal had expressed concern about Toto Wolff having information that only a FOM member would be privy to. The report seemed to have caught the attention of the FIA, as the governing body released a statement that it has launched an investigation into confidential information being passed to an F1 team principal from FOM personnel.

The FIA statement did not mention either Toto Wolff or Sussie Wolff but it is fairly clear what the investigation is about.

Since then, Mercedes has issued a statement claiming that there have been "unsubstantiated allegations" from a single media outlet. The statement also said that the team received no prior communication from the FIA.

"We note the generic statement from the FIA this evening, which responds to unsubstantiated allegations from a single media outlet, and the off-record briefing which has linked it to the Team Principal of Mercedes-AMG F1. The Team has received no communication from the FIA Compliance Department on this topic and it was highly surprising to learn of the investigation through a media statement," the statement read.

The statement also rejected the allegations and invited transparent correspondence from the FIA.

"We wholly reject the allegation in the statement and associated media coverage, which wrongly impinges on the integrity and compliance of our Team Principal. As a matter of course, we invite full, prompt, and transparent correspondence from the FIA Compliance Department regarding this investigation and its contents," it added.

F1 issues statement on the Mercedes investigation

F1 has also issued a statement on the investigation of the team personnel. It reinforced that there were robust processes and procedures in place to ensure the segregation of information and responsibilities in the event of any potential conflict.

“We have complete confidence that the allegations are wrong, and we have robust processes and procedures that ensure the segregation of information and responsibilities in the event of any potential conflict of interest,” the statement read.

“We are confident that no member of our team has made any unauthorized disclosure to a team principal and would caution anyone against making imprudent and serious allegations without substance,” it added.

This might not be the end of it, and fans can expect a few updates on what happens with the investigation.