How Susie Wolff Took F1 Academy from Empty Tracks to Global Partnerships

As the Managing Director of F1 Academy, Susie Wolff is helping reshape the future of motorsport. Susie joins Maria to discuss navigating the high-stakes negotiations, the pressure of maximizing growth while F1 Racing is having its moment, and what its like holding her ground in rooms where she's often the only woman at the table. Susie opens up about racing through injury, the power of saying no, and getting tough love from her husband, racing legend Toto Wolff. All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Maria on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Maria on X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack⁠⁠ 00:00 Introduction: Resilience in Business and Sports 02:00 Defining Calculated Risks 04:55 Childhood Influence: Equal Opportunity and Drive 06:50 The Reality of Racing: Noise, Gender, and Performance 10:07 Finding Comfort in the Uncomfortable 12:20 Navigating Career Setbacks and Injury 18:15 The Intuition Behind Career Pivots 21:30 Ambition, Motherhood, and Identity 24:25 The Power of Saying "No" 27:00 Life After Retirement: Self-Discovery 32:00 Challenging Perceptions: Femininity and the "Pink Car" 35:30 The Future of Women in F1 38:30 Taking the Helm at F1 Academy 43:10 The Strength in Asking for Help 46:30 Breaking Barriers in the Workplace 49:25 Working with Toto: Directness, Honesty, and Partnership 54:30 Raising a Son in the Motorsport World 57:20 What’s Next for Susie Wolff 58:15 Pretty Tough Tips: Resilience 1:01:15 Rapid Fire: Unlearning Selfishness and Finding Confidence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices