Hamilton praises F1 Academy director Susie Wolff over legal action against FIA WSOC TV [Video]

MELBOURNE, Australia — (AP) — Lewis Hamilton criticized FIA while supporting Susie Wolff’s “bravery” for filing a criminal complaint against auto racing’s governing body in the French courts.

Wolff, who is married to Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff, and director of the all-female junior racing series F1 Academy, on Wednesday said she had begun legal action “in relation to statements made against me” by the FIA.

The Wolffs were the subject of an FIA investigation last December which sought to determine if the couple shared confidential information. It followed allegations of a conflict of interest published in BusinessF1 magazine.

But FIA closed the investigation after just 48 hours, following near identical statements from the remaining nine teams denying they’d lodged the complaint required to commence it. Susie Wolff began legal action on March 4.

Hamilton firmly backed Wolff during a media session Thursday at Albert Park ahead of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, in which he lamented the lack of accountability …