Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Podbit · Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Susie Wolff (Managing Director of F1 Academy)

Explore episode Jun 24, 2026
Sports
FP1 at Hockenheim: The Best Day of Her Career

Susie Wolff (Managing Director of F1 Academy) · Jun 24, 2026 Sports

Her Silverstone FP1 debut ended after one lap when the engine blew — one of the great anticlimax stories in motorsport. But the anger became rocket fuel at Hockenheim, where she pushed to the limit on every corner except one and finished within 0.2 seconds of Williams race driver Felipe Massa. 'The feeling of driving an F1 car on the edge — there's nothing else that comes close.'

2m 20s

Where this was said

FP1 at Silverstone (Engine Failure) and Hockenheim (Career Best)

At 1:19:40 · chapter starts 1:14:35

The morning of the Silverstone FP1 involved checking weather, thinking about Valtteri Bottas's race weekend (any damage would affect his whole race), and the golden rule: no crashing that car. She got out of the garage cleanly — her father's first words were 'thank God you didn't stall' — and then on her second flying lap, the Mercedes engine blew. Anticlimax of the highest order. The team and media had massively underestimated the interest the session would generate; they scrambled to capitalise. A second FP1 opportunity at Hockenheim followed. Arriving there 'pissed off' rather than nervous, Susie pushed to the absolute limit on every corner except one (where gravel threatened). She finished within 0.2 seconds of Massa. 'The feeling of driving an F1 car on the edge,' she says, 'there's nothing else that comes close.'

Business
From Team Principal of Venturi to Managing Director of F1 Academy

Susie Wolff (Managing Director of F1 Academy) · Jun 24, 2026 Business

After retiring from driving in 2015, Susie became team principal and then CEO of the Venturi Formula E team, helping it nearly win the world championship. When her business partner sold the team to build an electric Mars rover, she was about to join that project — until Stefano Domenicali called about F1 Academy. She had to exit the space venture to take it, letting Gildo de Pastor down in the process.

2m 17s

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