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Mercedes end Kingspan sponsorship deal after backlash over links to Grenfell Tower disaster

Kingspan branding had appeared on Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix  (REUTERS)
Kingspan branding had appeared on Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (REUTERS)

Mercedes have ended their sponsorship with Kingspan following outcry over the deal from Grenfell Tower survivors and families of the victims.

The championship leaders sparked controversy in announcing the partnership ahead of last weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Pressure group Grenfell United reacted angrily to the announcement, claiming that with the partnership they were “directly involved in this system which puts profit before human life”.

And Mercedes bowed to that pressure on Wednesday to end their involvement with Kingspan with immediate effect.

In a statement, the team said: “The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Kingspan today announced that they have mutually agreed to end their partnership.”

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In signing the terms initially, Mercedes said Kingspan had been set to chair a sustainability working group for the F1 operation to reduce carbon emissions.

But the team added: “However, both parties have concluded 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’s insulation was among those used on the outside of the tower, which burned down in 2017 with 72 people losing their lives and is part of a public enquiry.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had already agreed to meeting Grenfell United and had hinted in the wake of the race in Saudi Arabia that the deal could be ended before Wednesday’s announcement.

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