During the recent Grand Prix of Spain, Toto Wolff, the team boss, made a firm commitment to respond with full force to a message that was allegedly sent by a dissatisfied member of the Mercedes team. The message, entitled « a possible death sentence for Lewis », was addressed to Wolff, F1 boss Stefano Domenicali, FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, as well as other prominent figures in the paddock and fully accredited F1 media. It was sent on June 10, a day after the Canadian Grand Prix, where Hamilton was overtaken by his teammate George Russell on the penultimate lap.
According to news agency PA, a police spokesperson stated that Northamptonshire police received a report on June 12 about an email that had been circulated within the Mercedes AMG F1 team. However, no criminal offense was identified, although guidance was given regarding any future emails the team may receive.
Johnny Herbert, former F1 driver turned commentator, vehemently rejected the idea that Mercedes is intentionally undermining Hamilton and criticized those making such claims. Despite the matter being considered closed for now, it is understood that the Silver Arrows have been encouraged to report any similar correspondence to the police in the future.
The email accused Wolff of being « vengeful » and claimed that the team is doing everything possible to retaliate against Hamilton for his decision to leave Mercedes and go to Ferrari. Wolff firmly denies that the email originated from his own organization and challenges « lunatic conspiracy theorists » to seek professional help if they believe the team is working against Hamilton.
Après la course en Espagne dimanche, où Hamilton a finalement mis fin à sa série de défaites contre Russell, en le surpassant au classement et en assurant son premier podium de la saison, Wolff a réitéré sa position. Il a exprimé son total manque de respect pour les théoriciens du complot et a affirmé que toute personne qui ne comprend pas l’objectif de l’équipe de remporter des courses et des championnats devrait chercher un autre sport à regarder. Wolff s’est également dit satisfait de la performance de Hamilton et a reconnu que cela faisait un moment que la stratégie avait fonctionné en sa faveur.
Il est à noter que Hamilton n’a pas remporté de Grand Prix depuis sa victoire record de 103e victoire en F1 au Grand Prix d’Arabie saoudite en 2021. (Reportage supplémentaire par GP247 et Reuters)
