The recent confirmation of the agreement between Mercedes AMG F1 and Kingspan has generated a strong controversy in the United Kingdom, since this company is being investigated for alleged gross negligence.
Kingspan is an England-based building materials company that recently entered into a sponsorship agreement with the team Mercedes of Formula 1.
This would not attract anyone’s attention if it weren’t for Kingspan being one of the main negligence investigated in relation to the fire at the Grenfell Tower occurred on June 14, 2017 and caused the death of 79 people.
“By partnering with Kingspan, we believe you are directly involved in this system that puts profit before human life”
The indictment claims that Kingspan and other companies they lowered costs in the cladding of the building, which contained polyethylene, which led to a rapid spread of the fire throughout the building for social housing. Similarly, repeated alerts regarding this problem were ignored for years.
Crossing of letters
After the agreement was made official, Grenfell United, the platform for those affected by the fire, sent a public letter to Toto Wolff showing its rejection of it. «Kingspan played a central role in inflicting the pain and suffering we feel today, and there must be a degree of public censure for Kingspan’s recklessness and neglect of human life. ‘
“By partnering with Kingspan, we believe you are directly involved in this system that puts profit before human life. We are therefore seeking assurances from you that you will take affirmative action to disengage from Kingspan, ”the letter stated.
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“Grenfell United wants you to share the letter with your shareholders and await their response. We will be happy to facilitate a meeting with you to discuss this further. It can’t just be “business as usual.” We hope he can show that ethics and values exist in F1 and that there are consequences in actions ».
To this letter he replied Toto wolff, noting that “the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire was beyond my imagination and should never have happened. ANDOn behalf of our team, I would like to sincerely apologize to you for the additional damage this ad has caused.. It was never our intention to do so.
“The work of the public investigation to establish the full causes of the tragedy is of crucial importance. Before ending our partnership, we engaged with Kingspan in depth to understand what role their products played in what happened at Grenfell. “Toto Wolff noted.
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Kingspan has stated that they did not play any role in the design or construction of the cladding system at the Grenfell Tower, and that a small percentage of their product was used as a substitute without their knowledge in part of the system that did not comply with the building regulations and was not safe ”.
“I know this does not change in any way the terrible tragedy you suffered or the deep and ongoing pain felt in your community, and I would like to thank Grenfell United for offering to meet in person so that I better understand the situation.. I hope to meet as soon as we can.
The government reacts
Michael gove, Secretary of State for Competitiveness, Housing and Communities, has also intervened and urged Mercedes and Toto Wolff to reflect.
In a letter to Wolff, posted on TwitterGove has made it clear how disappointed he is with Mercedes’ decision to go ahead with the deal. “In the past, both the state and the private sector have failed the bereaved, survivors, and the wider Grenfell community.. They are right to feel deeply hurt and aggrieved by their decision to sign this endorsement agreement while the public inquiry continues.
«As secretary of state, planning controls for outdoor advertising spaces in England are a statutory responsibility that falls on me »Gove pointed out.
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“Currently, generally speaking, advertisements displayed on enclosed grounds, such as within sports stadiums, or those displayed on vehicles, are excluded from the direct control of the relevant authorities », qualifies.
“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, “he reiterates.
‘I am aware that there are very real questions as to whether Parliament would support a statutory regime that would allow a lead participant in a public inquiry on how 72 people lost their lives advertising their products publicly to millions of families across the country.
“The achievements of Mercedes and Sir Lewis Hamilton in recent years represent a British success story of which we are all proud. I hope they reconsider this trade association, which threatens to undermine all the good work the company and the sport have done. “Gove ends.
The British politician has also addressed this letter to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and to Nadine Dorries, British sports secretary.