Before the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, Mercedes announced a new deal with the international Kingspan company, whose logos now appear on the front of the W12 car.
But with Kingspan’s involvement in the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster that killed 72 people, which is still being investigated under an ongoing public inquiry, there has been a backlash from those affected by the tragedy.
Knowing full well that Kingspan’s K15 insulation was one of the products installed on the side of the tower, the Grenfell United interest group, consisting of survivors and bereaved, wrote to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff asking him to sign the deal rethink.
Wolff wrote back to them saying that while he remained committed to Kingspan sponsorship, he was ready to meet those affected by the tragedy to learn more.
Now Michael Gove MP, the State Secretary for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities, has stepped in and asked Mercedes and Wolff to think again.
In a letter to Wolff that Gove posted on Twitter, he made it clear how disappointed he was with Mercedes’ decision to carry out the deal.
“The Grenfell bereaved, survivors and the wider community have historically failed both government and private sectors. You are rightly feeling deeply hurt and distressed by your decision to sign this sponsorship deal while the public inquiry continues, ”he wrote.
Then Gove warned that the Kingspan situation could be enough to cause the UK government to change its responsibility for advertising and sponsoring in sport.
While the current restrictions mainly affect products related to tobacco, alcohol and gambling, Gove said he couldn’t rule out the government from intervening to prevent deals like Mercedes / Kingspan.
“As Secretary of State, oversight of outdoor advertising space in England is a legal responsibility that falls to me,” he wrote.
“At the moment, advertisements that are shown on closed grounds, for example in sports stadiums or on vehicles, are largely excluded from direct control by the responsible authorities.
“My cabinet colleagues and I will keep this system under review to ensure that the advertising regime is serving its purpose and reflecting the public interest.
“I understand that there are very real questions as to whether Parliament would support legislation that would allow a key participant in a public inquiry into 72 people who have lost their lives to publicly disclose to millions of families across the country to advertise its products.
“The achievements of Mercedes and Sir Lewis Hamilton over the past few years represent a British success story that we are all proud of. I hope you will reconsider this commercial partnership that threatens to undermine the good work the company and the sport do. “
Gove said he also sent a copy of the letter to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Nadine Dorries MP, Sports Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
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