Susie Wolff - Driven

From the moment her parents first sat her in a go-kart, Susie Wolff felt it – the thrill of speed, the spark of something bigger. A little girl who dared to dream to one day race in Formula One. As a teenager, the posters in her bedroom were not of boy bands or movie stars, but of F1 racing heroes.

As Susie Wolff rose through the ranks of motorsport, one truth became impossible to ignore: she was almost always the only woman on the grid. Each time she was knocked down, she got back up with the unshakeable belief that instinct and resilience could carve a path through a world not designed for her. The journey was tough, but one day she was handed the opportunity of a lifetime – 25 laps in an F1 car. She knew chances like that didn’t come often, and when they did, you had to grab them.

After showing she could be competitive in an F1 car, what next? When her racing chapter ended, Susie didn’t stall, she pivoted. Inspired by her husband Toto’s strategic mind and relentless drive in powering one of the most successful F1 teams in history, Susie began to see a new dimension of the sport – one beyond the driver’s seat. She led a struggling Formula E team and transformed it from being at the back of the grid to championship contention. More than that, she learned to evolve.

F1 Academy became her next mission: to inspire young women to enter motorsport and shape the future of the sport she loves.

In Driven, Susie lifts the bonnet for the first time on her extraordinary life. From the driver’s seat of the racing car to the heart of the F1 paddock, she offers a rare, first-hand view into the inner workings of motorsport at its highest level. She shares the triumphs of her early driving career, the setbacks she faced and the motivations behind her bold shift from the cockpit to the boardroom. Along the way, she reflects on her transformative relationship with her husband Toto and how she has navigated the balance between ambition and motherhood. Told with clarity and grace, this is the inspirational story of a woman determined not just to compete – but to redefine the race.

Author Biography

Susie Wolff began her competitive motorsport career over twenty years ago, starting out on the karting track. After cutting her teeth in karting, Formula Renault and DTM for Mercedes-Benz, Susie went on to make history at the 2014 British Grand Prix by becoming the first woman to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend in 22 years. Following her retirement from driving in 2015 and as part of her commitment to fostering positive change within the sport, in 2016 Susie launched Dare To Be Different, a call to action aimed squarely at driving female talent by inspiring the next generation and increasing female participation in all levels and aspects of motorsport. She was awarded an MBE for her services and contribution to women in sport in 2017. Since 2023 Susie Wolff has been the Managing Director of the F1 Academy, the all-female driver category that aims to develop and prepare young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition.

Author Biography

Susie Wolff is a former professional racing driver and one of the most respected women in motorsport. She began her career in karting with a dream of one day making it to F1. After racing at the highest levels across Europe, she made history in 2014 by becoming the first woman in over two decades to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend.

After hanging up her helmet, Susie brought the same drive to the business side of the sport, leading a Formula E team from the back of the grid to World Championship contenders. In 2023, she became Managing Director of F1 Academy – an all-female series backed by F1 to develop the next generation of female talent and prove that motorsport is no longer just a man’s world.

Susie has been widely recognised for breaking down barriers and was awarded an MBE for her contribution to women in sport in 2017.