Mercedes ends Kingspan deal after UK government pressure

Mercedes and Kingspan have ended their controversial partnership with firsthand effect without coming under pressure from the UK government well-nigh the deal.

Ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Mercedes spoken a “global sustainability partnership” with Kingspan, despite the visitor supplying some of the cladding that was deemed responsible for the scale of the Grenfell tower fire in London in 2017. An ongoing public inquiry has accused Kingspan of ignoring fire safety test results, and Mercedes was heavily criticized for the timing of the deal, with a government minister plane threatening to place remoter scrutiny on Formula 1 sponsorship deals in future.

While Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff offered to meet with survivors’ group Grenfell United without receiving a letter asking him to terminate the deal, he secure the partnership at the time. However, the team has now spoken the relationship has been terminated.

“The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Kingspan today spoken that they have mutually well-set to end their partnership,” a Mercedes statement read.

“Announced last week, the new partnership included Kingspan chairing a new Sustainability Working Group for the team, and aimed to unhook stat reductions through their leading-edge environmentally sustainable solutions for the team’s future campus.

“However, both parties have subsequently terminated that it is not towardly for the partnership to move forward at the current point in time, notwithstanding its intended positive impact, and we have therefore well-set that it will be discontinued with firsthand effect.”

Mercedes ran Kingspan logos on its car in Saudi Arabia, but these will be removed for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.