Susie Wolff chats to Maria Sharapova on Resilience, Risk, and Reinvention
Former F1 driver and F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff sat down with Maria Sharapova for a wide-ranging conversation about ambition, gender barriers, motherhood, and what it takes to thrive in male-dominated industries.
On Calculated Risk-Taking at 200 MPH
I’m only willing to take big risks if I can cope with the worst case outcome.
When Sharapova opened with this quote from Wolff’s memoir, the former racing driver clarified that fearlessness is a myth. Racing drivers aren’t fearless—they take calculated risks.
“You’re never going to get that last bit of performance, the difference between being P5 on the grid or P1, unless you push the boundaries,” Wolff explained. “But they’re always calculated risks.”
This philosophy extended beyond the track. When Wolff took on leadership of F1 Academy, she had to present an unproven business model to the F1 board without having all the answers. “I had this big vision, but it was tough getting other people to believe in it,” she recalled.
Childhood Foundations: An Equal-Opportunity Upbringing
Wolff’s parents met at a motorcycle shop—her father owned it, her mother walked in and left with both a motorbike and a new romance. They “lived for the thrill,” and that shaped everything.
I never once realized I was doing something unusual for a girl because it was just my character.
Her mother raced bikes and ran her own business. Her parents maintained an equal partnership and didn’t treat Wolff and her brother differently based on gender. Whatever her brother did, she had the opportunity to do herself.
“This was such a good basis,” Wolff reflected. “Now being a mother, you can look back with a completely different perspective on your own childhood and how thankful I am.”
Breaking Barriers in Formula 1
Wolff made history as the first woman in decades to participate in a Formula 1 race weekend in the modern era. The pressure was immense.
Everyone’s got an opinion, but I knew there were those that were for me and those that were against me. I developed a very thick skin.
She acknowledged the skepticism: “There was definitely an element of, ‘God, I hope she doesn’t crash, and I hope this doesn’t turn into something embarrassing.'”
But Wolff’s focus remained on performance.
On that day, you need to go out there and show them that you’re quick enough. When you’re a competitor, the results are the loudest words.
Finding Comfort in the Uncomfortable
One of Wolff’s signature philosophies is being comfortable within discomfort—a skill she says is essential for success.
This is scary, but I’m going to do it anyway.
“Resilience is like a muscle,” Wolff said. “The more you push yourself, the more you get back up even after those tough days, that’s a muscle that just gets stronger and stronger.”
Her advice for those struggling to leave their comfort zone.
Lean in in those moments. And don’t think that even the ones who are doing it haven’t had those moments of self-doubt. But jumping over that fence and putting yourself in there—the exhilaration you get from having done it is something that will then drive you for the next moment.
The Nine-Month Injury That Changed Everything
At 21, at what should have been the peak of her career, Wolff suffered a severe ankle injury that sidelined her for nine months. She kept diaries during that period, which she later found in her parents’ loft while writing her memoir.
I had written ‘keep going, don’t give up, just keep going’ so many times in the diary. I’d lost my grandfather close to that time, and there were some diary entries: ‘Help me, Grandpa.’
Reading those entries was painful. “I realized what a dark place I went to,” she said. Her brother, who co-wrote the book with her, told her the initial draft was “boring” and urged her to revisit the diaries to capture how tough those moments really were.
“I really wanted the book to chart the difficulties just as much as the successes,” Wolff said. “I disagree with people who say, ‘Make failure your friend.’ I hated failure. But I came out the other side—and literally six months later, I was signed to Mercedes-Benz.”
Knowing When to Pivot
Wolff has a track record of leaving successful chapters behind—moving from karting to formula racing, from racing to team principal, and now to F1 Academy leadership.
The instinct that either I was unhappy or I was unfulfilled was strong enough to tell me something needs to change.
Change is scary, she acknowledged, but essential. “It’s quite easy to get comfortable and stuck, but it’s pushing yourself to think: Am I happy where I am now? In the next five years, is this where I see myself staying? Or is it time to evolve, to learn a new skill set, to put myself in a situation where I need to really sink or swim?”
When Sharapova asked how Wolff tunes out external opinions to follow her own instinct, Wolff credited motherhood with sharpening her boundaries.
I get really good at saying no. I know what brings me joy in my life and I know what would be great on paper but I just don’t have capacity for.
The Power of Saying No
Both Wolff and Sharapova emphasized that saying no is essential to long-term success, even when it triggers FOMO.
Performance is power. Whether you’re a male or female, whatever industry you’re in, be really good at what you do—and that is your superpower.
Wolff recalled turning down interview requests when she first took on the F1 Academy role: “I said to the head of comms at F1, ‘I’m not doing any. I haven’t done anything yet. Let me actually achieve something and then I’ll talk about it.'”
Her message to F1 Academy drivers:
Focus on performance. Be really good at what you do. That is always going to be at the core and the most important part of who you are. If you’re good at what you do, everything else will follow.
Retirement and Identity Loss
When Wolff retired from racing, the toughest part wasn’t the decision—it was the aftermath.
Someone at a dinner said, ‘Oh, so what do you do?’ And I suddenly thought: What do I do? Who am I if I’m not a racing driver? It was my whole identity.
She spent months in self-discovery, recalibrating what interested her outside of racing. Her advice for others in transition: “Sometimes figuring out what you don’t want to do is just as powerful as figuring out what you do want to do.”
She also encouraged people to give themselves time.
What was more important for me is to acknowledge and reflect on the fact that I had over 28 years of this ferocious, physically demanding career. If that might take a few months, if that might take a year—that was the healthier version.
Embracing Femininity and the Pink Car
Wolff’s relationship with the color pink mirrors her relationship with femininity. As a child, she loved pink and wanted pink side pods for her go-kart. In her teenage years, she stored the pink away after realizing it made her an “easy target.”
It’s only really when I came together with Toto and he said, ‘Listen, you don’t have a role model. You’ve just got to be you. If that means you want to wear a dress, wear it. Own it. Don’t doubt yourself.’
That permission was transformative. When Mercedes painted her car pink in DTM, Wolff embraced it.
I didn’t worry that they saw that as a weakness. I was there. I knew I had to perform. I knew I could race hard.
She also realized the visibility helped.
It got more little girls to the track. Suddenly they wanted to see this pink car.
Why Aren’t There More Women in F1?
According to Wolff, it’s a linked problem: no visible role models means a small talent pool.
Visually seeing an 18-year-old girl zipping up a Ferrari race suit and jumping in what looks like a miniature Ferrari car is so powerful to change the perceptions of the next generation.
F1 Academy’s job, she says, is to inspire that next generation.
If we do a good job in F1 Academy, it will be inevitable that a girl gets to F1 eventually. But I don’t see that as our sole target. We’ve got a much bigger job of changing the perceptions of the sport.
Transforming F1 Academy
When Wolff took over F1 Academy in 2023, she immediately spotted a critical flaw: the girls were racing at empty tracks, separate from F1 events.
I had never been to such an empty racetrack in my whole career. How is this ever going to work? If there’s nobody watching your races, you’re not going to find a sponsor.
She reached out to women in other sports—the WNBA, which is nearly 30 years old—to learn from their challenges. The solution: align F1 Academy races with F1 events and get F1 teams directly involved.
“I knew it was a big ask,” Wolff said. “This was the first time in the history of the sport they would give their name and livery to something outside of the cars they build. But they jumped on board, and now they’re signed up for the long term.”
The Strength in Asking for Help
Despite being an experienced business leader, Wolff had no hesitation reaching out to women outside her network for advice.
I have never had an issue with putting my hand up and saying, ‘I don’t have all the answers.’
She even sat down with critics of F1 Academy and asked, “Tell me why you think that. Tell me what you think we need to do better.” It was painful, but necessary. “You can’t just hear all the good stuff. You need to know why people think things can’t work.”
Her advice for women breaking barriers:
The first and most powerful thing is women standing up for each other. If you’ve managed to carve yourself a path in an industry, it’s so rewarding to then pass that knowledge on. Don’t let the next one go through the same battles you did.
Working with Toto Wolff: Directness and Honesty
Maria Sharapova couldn’t let the interview pass without discussing Toto Wolff, Susie’s husband and Mercedes F1 team principal. His foreword to her memoir included this line:
Your inner confidence is quiet but unshakable.
Their relationship is built on radical honesty. “From the very beginning, he said, ‘Let’s not play any games. I’m going to be honest with you, you be honest with me.'” Being Austrian, Toto is very direct. “He’s not soft and fuzzy at all,” Susie laughed.
He doesn’t wrap me in cotton wool, but he knows how tough the industry can be. He pushes me when I need to be pushed, but he also doesn’t shy away from telling me when it’s just not good enough.
On working together as a couple:
He won’t interfere unless I ask. I’m the same with him. We wait for each other to be asked for our opinion—unless it comes to clothing.
Raising a Son in Motorsport
Toto was initially against their son Jack going into racing, but Susie insisted he at least have the chance.
I have so many fond memories from my karting years. If he wants to race, I’m at least going to give him the chance to start racing.
Now the whole family is involved.
We have this little motor home that we all live in. There’s no other place I’d rather be than with him at a kart track at this stage of his life. That time together as a family—we really love it.
When Sharapova asked who’s the better driver—Susie, Toto, or Jack—Wolff deadpanned:
The answer to that depends on who you ask. I made a career out of racing, so I have to be the better driver than Toto. He’s a terrible passenger, though.
As for Jack? “He’s already better than I was at his age.”
What’s Next for Susie Wolff?
I’ve got a big decision to take at the end of this year. F1 Academy is in a great place, but I need to decide what the next stage looks like.
Wolff is relaxed about the choice.
There are different routes I can take, all of which actually excite me. I believe sometimes when those big decisions come, it becomes naturally evident which is the right path.
Pretty Tough Tips: Rapid Fire
What’s something you’ve had to unlearn?
Being selfish. It was all about me and my racing career. Now, being part of a team and being a mother—it’s definitely not just about me anymore.
What routine has shaped your success?
Discipline. I love going and doing sport in the morning. If I don’t get it done first thing, it tends to not happen. The toughest part is starting—once you start, the endorphins flow and you think, ‘Okay, this is great.’
What’s a common misconception about you?
I’ve heard a lot of people call me tough and hard. I can be in moments, but I don’t think that’s who I am as a character. I like to think of myself as kind and loyal. But it’s always interesting—Toto can be called that and it’s a real compliment. When people say it about me, I’m like, ‘I don’t think you actually mean that in a positive way.’
What makes you feel tough?
Having all the preparation in a given moment—whether it’s a battle in the boardroom or on track. As long as I feel I have my armor of knowledge, team around me, preparation done—I can be really tough in a situation.
Armor is preparation.
What makes you feel pretty?
It’s dressing in a way which I feel comfortable in but good in. Doing my hair, getting my makeup, having time to do your hair. Having time to do my hair and having my makeup done because doing it on my own is 5 minutes.
If I feel good about myself, then I then I can go out and I feel pretty. I feel confident, and I think confidence is probably more important than the idea of feeling pretty because if [music] you can walk into a room and you just feel good, the confidence with which you carry that pretty element.
This recap is based on Susan Wolff’s appearance on the Pretty Tough with Maria Sharapova podcast. For the full episode, click on the YouTube link at the top or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
