Susie Wolff, born Suzanne Stoddart on December 6, 1982, in Oban, Scotland, is a former professional racing driver and a prominent figure in motorsport management.
Renowned for breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry, she became the first woman in 22 years to participate in a Formula 1 race weekend at the 2014 British Grand Prix as a development driver for Williams.
Beyond her racing career, Wolff has held significant leadership roles, including Team Principal and CEO of Venturi Racing in Formula E, and she currently serves as the Managing Director of the F1 Academy, an all-female racing series aimed at fostering young talent.
Her contributions to motorsport, particularly for women, have earned her widespread recognition, including an MBE in 2017 for services to women in sport.
Siblings
Susie has one sibling, a brother named David Stoddart.
Growing up in Oban, Scotland, Susie and David were raised in a family deeply connected to motorsport, as their parents, John and Sally Stoddart, owned a motorcycle dealership, and their father was a competitive bike racer.
While detailed public information about David Stoddart is limited, it is known that he has been supportive of Susie’s career.
Notably, David directed a 2013 documentary titled Driven: The Fastest Woman in the World, which chronicled Susie’s journey in motorsport.
Career
Wolff’s motorsport journey began at the age of eight with karting, where she quickly demonstrated her talent.
By 1996, she was named the British Woman Kart Racing Driver of the Year, a title she claimed for four consecutive years.
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In 2000, she was recognized as the Top Female Kart Driver in the World.
Transitioning to single-seater racing in 2001, Wolff competed in the Formula Renault Winter Series and later in the full Formula Renault UK Championship, securing a podium finish and a ninth-place overall ranking in 2003.
She was also a finalist for the BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award.
In 2005, Wolff moved to the British Formula 3 Championship, though an ankle injury disrupted her season.
The following year, she joined the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) with Mercedes-Benz, racing for seven seasons (2006–2012) with teams like Mücke Motorsport and Persson Motorsport.
Her best DTM result was a seventh-place finish in 2010. In 2012, Wolff joined Williams in Formula 1 as a development driver, making history in 2014 by driving in free practice sessions at the British and German Grands Prix.
She retired from competitive racing in 2015 after participating in the Race of Champions, where she represented Team Scotland alongside David Coulthard.
Post-retirement, Wolff’s career shifted to leadership and advocacy.
In 2016, she co-founded Dare to be Different, a nonprofit aimed at increasing female participation in motorsport.
She joined Venturi Racing in Formula E as Team Principal in 2018, leading the team to a second-place championship finish in 2020–2021, and was promoted to CEO in 2021 before departing in 2022.
Since March 2023, Wolff has been the Managing Director of the F1 Academy, working to develop young female drivers.
She also served as an analyst for Channel 4’s Formula 1 coverage in 2016 and remains a prominent advocate for diversity in motorsport.
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