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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has strongly refuted allegations made in an anonymous email claiming that Lewis Hamilton’s car has been sabotaged by the team this year. The letter, purportedly from a Mercedes team member, was sent to senior figures in Formula 1, including Wolff and various media outlets.
Wolff labeled the accusations as “mad” and emphasized that both he and Hamilton are committed to finishing their partnership on a positive note, especially with Hamilton’s impending move to Ferrari in 2025. He disclosed that the team has involved the police to investigate the source of the email.
“It is not from a member of the team,” Wolff stated. “When we get these emails—and we get tonnes of these kinds of emails—it is upsetting, particularly when someone is talking about death. So on this one, I have instructed [the team] to go on full force. We have the police inquiring, we are researching the email address and telephone. Online abuse like that has to stop. People can’t hide behind their computers and abuse teams or drivers like this.”
Wolff also highlighted the strong bond and trust between him and Hamilton, dismissing any notions of sabotage. “I don’t know what some of the conspiracy theorists and lunatics think out there, but Lewis was on the team for 12 years, we trust each other, and we want to end on a high. And if you don’t believe that, you can believe we want to win the constructors’ championship and that needs both cars.”
The anonymous email alleged that Hamilton was being intentionally disadvantaged compared to his teammate, George Russell. However, Hamilton himself seemed unaware of the email and downplayed the situation, focusing on the need for better communication within the team. “Of course, things can always be done better within the team and that comes through conversations and communication. That is something we are consistently working on. We all want to finish on a high and I feel we owe that to our long-term relationship,” he said at the Spanish Grand Prix on Thursday.
Russell, addressing the issue, mentioned that he does not engage with social media frequently and dismissed the email as part of the negativity faced by public figures. “I don’t look on Instagram or Twitter. You see funny things on social media and it keeps you up to date but on the flip side, everybody, and not just me, in the limelight receives negativity. It is not something I have seen, I have heard about it, and it is never nice to hear it, but that is the world we live in and unfortunately any person in the public eye is facing it.”
