Wolff apologises to Grenfell group for “hurt” caused by Kingspan F1 deal
In a letter addressed to Wolff, Grenfell United described the partnership as “truly shocking” and called for Mercedes to “immediately sever” its relationship with the Irish building materials company.
Michael Gove, the UK’s Secretary of State for Housing and Communities, joined the condemnation and tweeted saying he was “deeply disappointed” by the sponsorship deal that sees Kingspan’s logos adorning Mercedes’ W12 car at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Kingspan’s K15 insulation was used in some of the cladding during the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower.
A public injury found that flammable materials covering the building contributed to the spread of the devastating fire in the high-rise block of flats which killed 72 people in June 2017.
Kingspan has insisted it played no role in the design of the cladding that was used on the tower and said its product only made up 5% of the total insulation and was used without its knowledge.
Wolff’s letter in full:
“Dear Grenfell United,
“Thank you for your letter about our partnership with Kingspan, which I received yesterday. The tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire was beyond imaginable to me, and it should never have happened.
“On behalf of our team, I would sincerely like to apologise to you for the additional hurt that this announcement has caused. It was never our intention to do so.
“The work of the public inquiry to establish the full causes of the tragedy is crucially important. Prior to concluding our partnership, we engaged with Kingspan in depth to understand what role their products played in what happened at Grenfell.
“Kingspan have stated that they played no role in the design or construction of the cladding system on Grenfell Tower, and that a small percentage of their product was used as a substitute without their knowledge in part of the system which was not compliant with building regulations and was unsafe.
“I know that this does not change in any way the awful tragedy you suffered, or the deep and ongoing pain felt in your community, and I would like to thank Grenfell United for the offer to meet in person for me to learn and understand better.
“I look forward to coming together as soon as we can.
“With my kind regards, Toto Wolff.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
