Ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP, Mercedes F1 has announced a new partnership with an international firm Kingspan, with their logos now visible on the nose section of their cars. But the sponsorship sparked a lot of anger, as the company has been involved in the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster that took lives of 72 people, and is still under scrutiny while under ongoing public enquiry. 

The Grenfell United group, who is made up of survivors and families of people who died in the disaster, that is well aware of the company’s involvement (Kingspan’s K15 insulation was on of the materials installed on the side of the tower) actually wrote to the team principal of Mercedes Toto Wolff to reconsider the deal. 

Toto Wolff responded to the group and said that while still being committed to the sponsorship, he wanted to meet those affected by the tragedy to understand more. After that, Michael Gove, a member of the British Parliament who is a Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has urged the team and Wolff to reconsider the deal again. 

In a letter to Wolff and Mercedes, Gove made his disappointment with the decision that pushed the deal ahead. This letter published on twitter, can be found here: 

I have written to @MercedesAMGF1 asking them to reconsider their partnership with cladding firm Kingspan. You can read my letter here 👇 pic.twitter.com/2F7eqmOGql

— Michael Gove (@michaelgove) December 3, 2021

Wolff’s response to the Grenfell United can be found here: 

A letter from Toto Wolff to Grenfell United. pic.twitter.com/OcczmEP4yA

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 3, 2021

Michael Gove MP warned Mercedes that the Kingspan deal could be enough to push a change in the UK and the jurisdiction the government has over advertising and sponsorship in sport, in order to prevent such situations in the future. 

As written in the statement: “As Secretary of State, the planning controls for outdoor advertising spaces in England are a statutory responsibility that falls to me. Currently, broadly speaking, adverts displayed on enclosed land, such as within sports stadia, or those displayed on vehicles, are excluded from direct control of the relevant authorities.

“My cabinet colleagues and I will keep this system under constant and close review to ensure that the advertising regime remains fit for purpose and reflects the public interest.”

Gove said that a copy of his letter was also sent to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Nadine Dorries MP, Secretary of Sporting for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.