Formula 1 - Mercedes end sponsorship deal with Kingspan over Grenfell Tower links
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Updated 08/12/2021 at 14:33 GMT
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff were both quizzed on the sponsorship deal with Kingspan at the Saudi Arabian GP. Mercedes have since mutually agreed to end the deal over Kingspan’s links with the Grenfell Tower disaster. Kingspan stressed their company “did not make the exterior cladding on Grenfell Tower”.
Kingspan branding is pictured on the car of Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on December 05
Image credit: Getty Images
Mercedes have mutually agreed to end their partnership with Kingspan following criticism of the deal.
The Formula One team had signed a new deal with Kingspan, who supplied some of the insulation material used on Grenfell Tower, which caught fire in June 2017 and killed 72 people.
Mercedes driver and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton distanced himself from the deal on the weekend, insisting he had “nothing” to do with the sponsorship, while team principal Toto Wolff apologised to Grenfell survivors and bereaved families.
The Kingspan logo was on Mercedes' cars at the Saudi Arabian GP, but both the team and sponsor have since announced an end to the partnership.
"The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Kingspan today announced that they have mutually agreed to end their partnership," Mercedes said in a statement.
"Announced last week, the new partnership included Kingspan chairing a new Sustainability Working Group for the team, and aimed to deliver carbon reductions through their leading-edge environmentally sustainable solutions for the team's future campus.
"However, both parties have subsequently concluded that it is not appropriate for the partnership to move forward at the current point in time, notwithstanding its intended positive impact, and we have therefore agreed that it will be discontinued with immediate effect."
Kingspan issued their own statement, in which it clarified they did not make the exterior cladding on Grenfell Tower.
The statement said: "We are deeply aware of the sensitivities raised in recent days, and so we have jointly agreed that it's not appropriate to move forward at the current point in time.
"Much has been written about this over the past few days, and out of consideration for our customers and all the great people who work for us, we believe we must respond.
"We had no role in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment. However, our Kingspan Insulation UK business is a core participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and fully supports the Inquiry's important work.
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The Kingspan logo was on Mercedes' cars at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Image credit: Getty Images
"We understand that this is a complex topic, but there are some important facts that we would like to explain: 1. We did not make the exterior cladding on Grenfell Tower. The Inquiry itself has stated that "the principal reason" for rapid fire spread on Grenfell was the Polyethylene cored ACM cladding used on the exterior of the building.
"No facade system using this PE ACM cladding, regardless of the insulation used, would have passed the necessary large-scale system fire test. Our K15 insulation board was misused in this unsafe and non-compliant system.
"2. We did not supply or recommend K15 to Grenfell Tower. K15 made up approximately 5% of the insulation layer of the façade system. It was substituted without our knowledge. 3. We have completed new tests which support the previous fire safety claims of the three historical K15 large-scale system tests which came into question during the Inquiry process.
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the wholly unacceptable historical conduct and emails which emerged throughout the course of the Inquiry discovery process. We have sincerely apologised for these actions by a small group of employees at our Kingspan Insulation UK business. This in no way reflects Kingspan's culture or values."
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